Phytosociology and species diversity analysis of district Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan: An approach for forest conservation

Plant diversity is a key component of an ecologically stable environment and plays a crucial role in regulating nutrient cycling, energy flow and overall resilience of ecosystems. This study assessed the plant diversity across 4 tehsils (Lahor, Razzar, Swabi and Topi) in district Swabi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The objective of the study was to examine the interaction between plant communities and ecological dynamics. Also documented the plant diversity of district Swabi, identifying 173 plant species belonging to 61 families. Angiosperms were the most dominant group with 168 species, followed by pteridophytes (3 species) and gymnosperms (2 species). Diverse habitat preferences were observed, with mesic habitats hosting 57.2 % of the species. Herbaceous species were the most abundant (25.4 %), followed by shrubs (25.4 %) and trees (17.3 %). Phenological assessment showed a variety of life cycles, with perennials making up 32.3 % of the species. Albeit, identified threats such as overgrazing (23.6 %) and habitat fragmentation impacted 74 % of the species. Chorotype analysis categorized species into uni-regional (31.2 %), bi-regional (42.7 %) and pluri-regional (20.2 %) distributions, with 8.67 % exhibiting cosmopolitan characteristics. The species abundance heatmap revealed Tehsil-Topi exhibited the highest alpha diversity, while Tehsil-Lahor showed the lowest. Additionally, Bray-Curtis Dissimilarity Heatmap highlights key ecological relationships among plant species. The analysis suggests that Topi is a diverse ecological hotspot, contributing significantly to overall biodiversity in the region. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) further indicates that geographical and anthropogenic influences shape plant diversity patterns. These findings underscore the need for targeted conservation strategies to protect Swabi unique biodiversity.