Phytosociological analysis and floristic composition of fabaceae species assessing human impact and edaphic variables

The study of plant communities and their floristic composition provides a significant ecological insights, particularly into the extent and nuances of alterations in natural vegetation resulting from anthropogenic activities. This study aimed to verify the absence of anthropogenic influence on native flora by identifying the floristic composition and evaluating phytosociological characteristics in District Jhelum, Pakistan. Field surveys were conducted across various seasons during 2019–2020. A random vegetation sampling approach was used to establish ten sample plots (10 × 10 m²) at each of the 23 sites (73 stations). Three transects per site and three quadrats per transect were sampled, resulting in a total of 657 quadrats. A total of 32 species, belonging to the Fabaceae family were recorded, comprising 11 (34.4%) tree species, 16 (50%) herbaceous species, and 3 (11.5%) shrub species. The dominant species were Dalbergia sissoo, followed by Neltuma juliflora and Acacia farnesiana, while Senna occidentalis was identified as a rare species. Cluster analysis (CA) and two-way cluster analysis (TWCA) categorized the native vegetation into three distinct groups/associations. Vegetation group 1 included 26 stations and a total of 29 plant species. The dominant species of this group was Neltuma juliflora (344.1 ± 313.9), whereas the co-dominant was Dalbergia sissoo (319.7 ± 252.1). Group 2 contained 29 stations with 27 species, in which the leading species was Acacia farnesiana (676.4 ± 358.7), followed by Neltuma juliflora (673.3 ± 289.9). Group 3 comprised 19 stations with only six plant species. Acacia nilotica was dominant (749.9 ± 146.0) species of this group, followed by Dalbergia sissoo (669.0 ± 321.2), Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) demonstrated that soil moisture (SM), soil phosphate (SP), phosphorus (P), and organic matter (OM) were key edaphic variables (p > 0.05), influencing species distribution and associations. This study provides a comprehensive sampling framework and emphasized the substantial relationship between edaphic factors and vegetation, highlighting the ecological importance of the family Fabaceae. These findings offer valuable insights for the restoration and conservation of native flora in the Jhelum region. However, to better understand regional biodiversity further in-depth studies covering a broader geographical area of the Jhelum region are required.