Shujaul Mulk Khan

Quaid-i-Azam University | QAU

Of the world’s seven continents, Asia is the largest. Its physical landscapes, political units, and ethnic groups are both wide-ranging and many. Southwest, South and Middle Asia are highly populated regions which, as a whole, cover an extremely large area of varied geography. In total, this domain is unique in its plant diversity and large vegetat...

Vegetation structures and dynamics are the result of interactions between abiotic and biotic factors in an ecosystem. The present study was designed to investigate vegetation structure and species diversity along various environmental variables in the Yakhtangay Hills of the Hindu-Himalayan Mountain Pakistan, by using multivariate statistical analy...

Natural Ecosystems are being degraded significantly due to increasing industrial pollution. Marble pollution is one of them. It was hypothesized that such a polluted ecosystem host unique set of plant species growing and tolerating the level of the pollution they dwell in. These can be used as phytoremediators successively, once the level of their...

A high amount of CO2 causes numerous health effects, including headaches, restlessness, difficulty in breathing, increased heart rate, high blood pressure, asphyxia, and dizziness. This issue of increasing atmospheric CO2 can only be solved via above-ground and below-ground carbon sequestration (CS). This study was designed to determine the relatio...

Introduction There has been limited research conducted on the identifications/methodological approaches of using plant species as indicators of the presence of economically, important mineral resources. Objectives This study set out to answer the following questions (1) Do specific plant species and species assemblages indicate the presence of m...

Morels (Morchella spp.) are wild edible mushrooms and are globally known for their high nutritional value. The current study aims at probing the heavy metal content in early emerging autumn-type Morchella galilaea that occurs exclusively in the irrigated plains of Charsadda, Pakistan. The identification of samples was conducted through morphology a...

Effective forest conservation and management needs to consider ecological factors and the susceptibility of different tree species to anthropogenic activity. Dry deciduous forests in the tropics have been undervalued because of their low timber production compared to temperate and boreal forests. In order to quantify the current significance of Pak...

Plant species represent the hierarchical expression of vegetation as it is affected by different ecological, environmental factors and pollution variables. This study assesses the impact of a different hidden treasure or factors on angiosperm plants in the marble waste polluted environment. Quadrat quantitative ecological techniques were adapted fo...

This study assessed the floristic composition, biological spectrum, and phytogeographical elements of the Bin Dara western boundary of Pakistan. The flora consisted of plant species belonging to families. The most dominant family was Poaceae (with species), followed by Asteraceae (species). The biological spectrum showed the therophytes (species,....

Parthenium hysterophorus L. is a vigorous plant species with cosmopolitan distribution. It can uptake considerable quantities of heavy metals from the soil and accrue these metals in its dierent tissue. The use of chelating agent i.e., Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) can boost up metal uptake capacity. Pot experiment was performed to evaluat...

Background: Ethnobotanical studies play an important role in understanding the plant diversity, bio-cultural variability, utilization of plant-based resources, drug discovery and conservation efforts. The current paper reviews and assesses the ethnobotanical literature and documented medicinal plants of the region of Gilgit-Baltistan, Northern Paki...

Medicinal plants are the primary and effective source to cure various human ailments throughout the globe. The remote area of the Pashat valley at the Pakistan–Afghanistan border is still unexplored to document ethnomedicinal knowledge and practices. In the current study, the contemporary investigation recorded the native acquaintance of remedial p...

Arisaema jacquemontii Blume is a highly medicinal and poisonous plant belong to the family Araceae. It is used to treat several deadly diseases, including viral infections. It has antioxidant, anti-cancerous, antimalarial, anti-vermicidal, and antiviral activities. Therefore, five parts of the Arisaema jacquemontii Blume plant, such as leaf, seed,...

Background Non-synchronized pods shattering in the Brassicaceae family bring upon huge yield losses around the world. The shattering process was validated to be controlled by eight genes in Arabidopsis , including SHP1 , SHP2 , FUL , IND , ALC , NAC , RPL , and PG. We performed genome-wide identification, characterization, and expression analysis o...

Objectives: Protected areas are of immense importance to enhance the functional role of plants due to abundance of woody species, their carbon sequestration ability and the rich organic matter and hence it needs to be documented and quantified scientifically with special focus on its carbon sink potential. Mathods: In this study, the Carbon sequ...

Phylogeny attributes to the evolutionary history of organisms. This chapter was aimed to isolate, characterize and identify microbial flora of the marble waste-polluted ecosystem via biochemical tests and PCR-based sequencing techniques. Malt extract and nutrient agar media were used for fungal and bacterial growth and colonies isolation. Molecular...

Date palm (Phoenix) is one of the staple foods of the world. This species covers about 3% of the globe’s cultivated area and produces about seven million tons annually. Date palm being a thermophile plant species grows well in hot areas where temperature ranges from 40℃ to 50℃. Different areas of Pakistan exhibit ideal environmental conditions for...

Plant species diversity patterns and vegetation structure are influenced by climatic and other environmental factors. We hypothesized that a combination of edaphic and topographic factors affect not only plant community patterns, vegetation structure and heterogeneity but also the indicator species in the dry temperate zone of the Liakot forests, H...

Alnus nitida (Spach) Endl. belong to the family Betulaceae. It is distributed in the western Himalayas and the Hindu Kush regions of the Sino-Japanese belt of northern Pakistan. This study was designed to investigate the morpho-anatomical variation in different populations of Alnus nitida (Himalayan Alder). Preliminary, a variation was observed in...

Sacred places such as graveyards, cemeteries, churchyards, and others are among the least disturbed areas within human-dominated landscapes due to religious, spiritual, cultural, and magical beliefs. Muslim graveyards constitute one such habitat, hosting diverse flora and fauna that in turn provide a wide range of ecosystem services. In this chapte...

Ornamental plant species are mostly grown for aesthetic purposes, for their fruits, vegetables, flowers, and medicinal value. Houses are decorated with various annual and perennial plants. The present study was performed to assess the ornamental plant composition, abundance, and distribution pattern with a special reference to gardening practices/e...

Weed species are part of dynamic ecosystems, start in an ordinary environment. This chapter revealed weed vegetation, the role of edaphic and farming practices on species composition, distribution, the formation of weed communities and its distinct indicators in the Maize crop of Shahbaz Garhi region, Pakistan. Weed species were recorded belonging...

This chapter evaluates the phytogeographical distribution of plants distributed in Jambil Valley District Swat, Pakistan. Quadrat method of varying sizes, i.e., 1 × 1 m for herbs, 5 × 5 m for shrubs, and 10 × 10 m for trees, was taken for sampling of vegetation. Multivariate statistical analysis was carried out for vegetation analysis. PC-ORD versi...

Invasive alien species are one of the leading threats to the biodiversity around the world. The current century is known as the age of extinction due to the high rate of extinction of many taxa, and many species have already become critically endangered. Alien invasive plants are considered as one of the biggest and neglected menaces to the biodive...

Phytodiversity provides an essential biological habitat for a large number of animals. Biodiversity of an area is predominantly rich inside the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries because these are planned to conserve it. The present study was therefore conducted in Chitral Gol National Park (CGNP), located in Chitral District in Khyber Pakhtun...

Professor Dr. Habib Ahmad left for his heavenly abode on 7th April 2021. He was an eminent Botanist, an excellent researcher (Cyto-geneticist), a very good teacher and above all a noble Human Being. He was born on 13th July 1959 in Matta, Swat. He passed his SSC & FSc from Matta, Swat and BSc from Jahanzeb College Saidu Sharif, Swat in 1982. He got...

It was hypothesized that the vegetation structure of Cholistan desert shows a significant correlation with moisture (water), edaphic and climatic variables. Is it possible to identify plant communities of Cholistan desert using indicator species statistical approach in relation to environmental gradients? To answer these questions quadrat quantitat...

Pteridophytes (ferns and ferns allies) are the second-largest group of vascular plants. These are represented by 202 species in Pakistan. Their ecological requirements have been investigated to some extent. In this chapter, an overview of their ecological features, specific habitats and distribution in discrete vegetation units has been summarized....

The current study deals with the mapping and evaluation of forest and land use cover changes in the western Himalayas, Pakistan. These forest types include i) Moist temperate forests ii) Mixed coniferous forests and iii) Subtropical broad leaved forests. Moist temperate forest mostly consists of evergreen conifers with some of oaks and deciduous tr...

Rusts comprises the largest natural group of plant pathogens including approximately 8% of all described Fungi. Rust fungi are extremely plant pathogens responsible for great losses to agriculture productivity. Rust species belong to several genera among which more than half are Puccinia species. In Pakistan, rust causes severe damage to agricultur...

This study covers an analysis of the plant diversity and community composition using random sampling phytosociological techniques. The area hosts 194 plant species from 144 genera and 60 families. Greater dynamics, spatial turnover, and heterogeneity were observed in vegetation structure. Lower and higher elevational zones were low in species richn...

Trees, shrubs, and 43 herbs were recorded from various graveyards which were classified into five major communities from the graveyards, namely, (1) Ficus-Bougainvillea-Chenopodium, (2) Acacia-Datura-Convolvulus, (3) Ziziphus-Vitex-Abutilon, (4) Acacia-Lantana-Salsola, and (5) Melia-Rhazya-Peganum. Regarding the conservation role of graveyards, Pop...

Chromium (Cr) is a toxic metal, which leads to severe physiological and morphological changes in plants and animals. Cr toxicity rate depends on its valence state, due to which Cr (III) is less toxic than Cr (VI). This chapter reveals agronomic and biochemical characteristics of Pteris vittata L. species under the influence of various concentration...

Unprecedented increase in the rate of environmental pollution is a serious issue throughout the globe. Every day we release huge quantity of the industrial, municipal, and agricultural wastes into the environment that causes serious diseases in human beings as well as in animals. Annually, about 2.01 billion metric tons of waste is produced worldwi...

Demand for petroleum and diesel is increasing with an increase in population. Petroleum reservoirs have been reduced globally. Hence, alternative resources are needed to be introduced and discovered. The oils obtained from plants and animal fats are mainly used to produce biodiesel due to their environment-friendly and renewable properties. Biodies...

This study evaluates plant species composition, distribution pattern, formation of different plant associations and their respective indicators in relation to various environmental factors in the district Malakand, Hindu Kush Mountain. Quadrat quantitative ecological techniques were used for sampling vegetation. All the collected plant species and...

Soil is one of the four pillars alongside water, air, and light, upon which the structure of life is built. FAO has declared 5th December as World Soil Day. It's celebrated . all around the globe to convey a message regarding the importance of soil every year. Being Pakistan's top-ranked university, QAU also gives special attention to this day as s...

Grape (Vitis vinifera L.) is economically the most important fruit crop grown in the world. This study focuses to find out suitable soil zone for introduction of suitable grape (Vitis. vinifera L.) varieties; a step towards poverty allevation and sustainable development. A total of three demonstration plots were developed based on climatic and edap...

proposing strategies to halt salinization in Pakistan.

Distributions of plant species over the earth’s surface are neither random nor even, but are geographic specific and characterized by specific sets of environmental and climatic factors. The current study aimed to classify the vegetation along the River Panjkora of the district Dir Lower, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan into different phytogeographic...

Contamination of waters and soils with microplastics (MPs) is an emerging environmental issue worldwide. MPs constitute a cocktail of various additives and polymers besides adsorbing toxic heavy metals from the environment. This co-occurrence of MPs with heavy metals poses a threat to the health of organisms and is poorly understood. Ingestion of M...

Mazri Palm {(Nannorrhops ritchieana (Griff) Aitch.)} is an economic plant species distributed in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia. More than 30 products are prepared from its leaves. Seed dormancy for long period is one of the core hurdles in its larger scale propagation and production. Materials and Methods In the current study, we aim...

Grape plant (Vitis vinifera L.) is a species of the family Vitaceae. It is an economically important fruit plant abundantly grown all over the world. Vitaceae comprised of 900 species distributed across tropical, sub-tropical and partially temperate sorts of climatic zones. In the current study we aimed to evaluate the antioxidant activities of gra...

Woody vegetation plays a signicant role in the ecosystem services and functions including carbon stock, climate regulation, pollution control, soil conservation, nutrient cycling and recreation. Therefore, the current study was aimed to document taxonomic diversity, in the Kirthar Range Sindh, Pakistan with special reference to aboveground carbon...

We have observed that with the increase in nutrients concentration i.e., Mn, Co, Mg & Ni the number of Irano-Turanian, Cosmopolitan, Holarctic, Mediterranean & Western Himalayan elements increases while with the decrease in nutrients Cr, Cu, Cd and Na concentration the number of Australian, Sub-Cosmopolitan, Sahro-Arabian,Euro-Siberian,Tropical, Am...

Plant species represent the hierarchical expression of vegetation as it is affected by various environmental gradients. We explored the plant species composition, distribution pattern, communities formation and their respective indicators under the influence of various environmental factors in the Dhirkot region, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. It was hypo...

Medicinal plants are rich and valuable sources for the treatment of various problems related to healthcare. The present research was focused to enlist the native erudition of unexplored and remote areas of Bajaur. The survey was carried out to investigate those plants which have high ethnomedicinal potential in the study area. The data was collecte...

It was hypothesized that multiple environmental factors influence distribution and abundance of plant species in different vegetation layers of the forest ecosystem=. Here, we have assessed plant diversity, abundance and its relationship with multiple factors through an integrative modeling approach. To substantiate or negate our hypothesis, Quadra...

Indigenous communities throughout the globe respond to COVID-19 by their traditional medicinal systems as primary health care. Our lab was part of an international study that discusses the outcomes of a rapid response, preliminary survey during the first phase of the pandemic among social and community contacts in five metropolises heavily affected...

The current paper evaluates the phytoremediation ability and physiological responses of selected resistant plant species to the hazardous levels of elements in the marble waste polluted ecosystem. Preliminary results demonstrate that all the indicator/resistant plant species i.e., Ailanthus altissima, Arundo donax, Cynodon dactylon, Erigeron canade...

District Tor Ghar is phytosocilogically unexplored region in the western Himalaya. Present study was conducted in district Tor Ghar during the summers of 2012 and 2013 to study floristic diversity of herbaceous flora in the region. The district Tor Ghar is located on 34 • 32 ′-34 • 50 ′ N, and 72 • 48 ′-72 • 58 ′ E. A total of 229 herb species belo...

Weeds are commonly considered a threat to biodiversity but their role to control heavy metals contamination is poorly understood. The aim of this study was to find out weed species that thrive naturally in the capital industrial area. Transect approach was used for the collection of data, where each transect was consisting of 5 Quadrats. A total of...

This paper provides the first insight into the altitudinal zonation of vegetation of Shigar valley, Central Karakorum Mountains, Pakistan. The study was conducted in the period of 2013-2016 and focused on floristic and structural differentiation of vegetation; ethnobotany, and environmental impacts in the region. Based on altitude, climate, and ind...

COVID-19 presented unprecedented challenges for the health care systems throughout the world. Therefore, people turned to homemade plant-based foods and beverages to prevent and lessen the symptoms of the disease. We have found that Zingber officinale, Allium sativum and Allium cepa were the potentially effective medicinal plants to tame as well as...