Floral Diversity and Vegetation Dynamicsof the Sino-Japanese Vegetation Typein Ashoran Hills, Pakistan

Between 2021 and 2023, a botanical survey was conducted in the Hindukush Mountains of Ashoran, Kalam, Swat District, Pakistan.As part of this study, 282 plant species from 206 genera and 73 families were cataloged.The major families include Asteraceae (24 species), Poaceae (22), Rosaceae (17), Fabaceae (14), Lamiaceae (14), Polygonaceae (10), and Ranunculaceae (10).Dicotyledons dominated with 219 species, followed by monocotyledons (39), pteridophytes (13), and gymnosperms (11).Herbaceous plants were the most common (188 species), followed by trees (35), subshrubs (24), and shrubs (23).Perennials were predominant (217 species), with annuals and biennials accounting for 59 and 6 species, respectively.Therophytes were the most common life form (85 species), followed by geophytes (54) and hemicryptophytes (52).Analysis of leaf size revealed that nanophylls dominated (37.23%), followed by microphylls (25.88%), mesophylls (18.79%), and leptophylls (14.89%).Quantitative ecological techniques were used, with quadrats of 1 m 2 for herbs, 5 m for shrubs, and 10 m for trees.Data on the 282 species and environmental parameters were analyzed using Two-way Indicator Species Analysis and Detrended Correspondence Analysis using Juice software version 7.1 and R program version 3.6, identifying five distinct plant communities.The Cedrus-Polygonum-Quercus community was located at an altitude of 2062-2112 m (18 territories, 25 species).The Quercus-Sorberia-Indigofera community was located at an altitude of 1982-2560 m (17 plant species, 101 species).The Origanum-