Mangrove Deterioration in Tarut Bay on the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Hanan Al- Mahasheer, Wafa Al-Taisan, Mohey. K. Mohamed

ABSTRACT
All over the world, coastal environments heavily suffered due to environmental constraints and human activities, particularly on mangrove trees. The deterioration and loss of mangrove communities, which are the evergreen trees that grow in tropical and semi-tropical regions and between regions of tides, represent a major problem for the coastal ecosystem, where mangrove communities have deteriorated and their numbers decreased due to the pollutions caused by factories, littering, and land reclamation; such influence seemed obvious after the Gulf War and it will remain so for a long period of time. Tarut Bay is exposed to many environmental and human pressures such as urban encroachment, pollutants, and land reclamation and if such activities continue, it will cause the elimination of mangrove forests in the region. The current study evaluates mangrove forests deterioration, which mostly centralize in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Taut Bay. During the study, we used LANDSAT and SPOT images of different dates to monitor the gradual changes taken place in the mangrove vegetation. The satellite images were taken over a period of 39 years from 1972 to 2011 and they clearly demonstrated that a significantly higher loss in mangrove forests occurred during this time and the decline in mangrove cover estimated during this period in the study area was 55.93%. Keeping in view the importance of mangrove communities in the coastal ecosystem, this study highly recommends stopping the excessive mangroves loss due to multiple factors and establishment of National Center for protecting the remaining mangrove communities from extinction.

Keywords: Avicennia marina, Satellite images, Mangrove deterioration, NDVI, Tarut Bay

Genetic diversity and phylogenetic analysis of crow species of district Mansehra, Pakistan
Sawar Khan, Habib Ahmad, Farzana Perveen, Azhar Mehmood, Shazia Dilber, Hina Habib Syed

ABSTRACT
Crows are passerine birds of genus corvus in family Corvidae. Current study was carried out on three species of crow, jungle crow (Corvus macrorhynchos), house crow (C. splendens) and jackdaw (C. monedula) present in district Mansehra, Pakistan. Crows were trapped for blood sampling. The total genomic DNA was isolated from the blood of each species. The RAPD -PCR analysis of isolated DNA was performed for genetic diversity estimation. All the amplification profiles were observed and genetic distances were estimated. Results of RAPD analysis revealed high level of genetic polymorphism among the three species. The average genetic distance estimates ranged from 50-90%. Phylogenetic relationship was elaborated through dendrogram which supports the genetics distances. The dendrogram showed that house crow and jungle crow share much genetic affinities to each other than to jackdaw. The results also revealed the RAPD markers as effective for such types of studies where an overall picture of genome is required.

Keyword; Corvus macrorhynchos, Corvus splendens, Corvus monedula, genetic diversity, phylogeny, RAPD

Eco-taxonomic study of family Brassicaceae of District Mardan, Khyber Pukhtoon- Khwa, Pakistan
Niaz Ali Khan, Mohib Shah

ABSTRACT

A total of 27 plant species belonging to 19 genera of the family Brassicaceae were collected from different localities of District Mardan. In which five plant species were belonging to genus Brassica, 3 species to Lepidium. Malcolmia and Raphanus had 2 species each, while Alyssum, Arabis,Capsella, Cardamine, Cardaria, Coronopus, Descurainia, Eruca, Farsetia, Goldbachia, Nasturtium, Neslia, Notoceras, Rorippa and Sisymbrium had one species each. The wild species were Alyssum desertorum, Arabistaraxacifolia, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Cardaminehirsuta, Cardariadraba,Coronopusdidymus,Descurainiasophia,Farsetiajacquemontii,Goldbachialaevigata,Lepidiumapetalum,Lepidiumsativum,Malcolmiacabulica,Nesliaapiculata,Notocerosbicorne,Rorippaindica,andSisymbriumirio.There were 13.7% xerophytes, 82.7% mesophytes and 3.4%. Hydrophytes. According to Abundance scale, 41% were frequent, 17% occasional, 14% abundant, 7% very rare, 4% and 3% were dominant and rare species respectively. Phenological behavior indicated that most plants grown in spring season in which 41% were non palatable, 23% less palatable and 38% highly palatable. Life form classes indicated 66% therophytes followed by 17% chaemophytes, 14% hemicryptophytes and 3% Geophytes. Conservation status had shown that 42.85% were infrequent followed by 38.09% rare and 19.04% vulnerable. It was concluded that members of the Brassicaceae need attention not only for its cultivation but emphasis must be made on conservation for sustainable utilization of plant resources.

Key words:Phenology, Palatability, Life form, Leaf form, Mardan.

Effect of Saline Water Irrigation on the Growth of Canola under Field Conditions
Humaira Gul, Rafiq Ahmed and Muhammad Hamayun

ABSTRACT
Investigations were undertaken to find out the effect of saline rhizosphere on vegetative and reproductive growth of Canola var. Oscar under field conditions. It was grown on non-saline sandy loam irrigated with 0.6% (EC 6.5 dS.m-1) sea salt dilution. Vegetative growth was recorded in terms of plant height, leaf area, fresh and dry shoot biomass per plant, while reproductive growth was noted in terms of number of flowers and siliquae per plant; siliquae weight; seed number and weight per siliquae; seed number and weight per plant. This variety produced 67gms fresh shoot biomass and 25gms dry shoot biomass per plant under non-saline control, while exhibited 16 and 20% reduction in fresh and dry shoot biomass respectively, under saline water irrigation. Reproductive yield (seed weight per plant) when irrigated with non-saline water (control) was 11.2 gm/pl. and showed 45.5% reduction when irrigated with 0.6% sea salt dilution under field conditions.

Keywords: Salinity, canola, vegetative yield, reproductive yield, saline water irrigation.

Wood as a Fuel Source in the Hindukush: A Case Study of Utror and Gabral Valleys, Northren Pakistan

Muhammad Hamayun, SumeraAfzalKhan and Abdul LatifKhan

ABSTRACT
Fuelwood is an important source of energy in the Hindukush region of northern Pakistan, as firewood is extensively used for cooking and heating purposes in this remote mountainous area. In current study, we recorded data pertinent to fuelwood consumption and its impact on deforestation in Utror and Gabral valleys, located in the upper Swat valley of Pakistan. It was observed that 27 plant species were utilizedasfuelwood species in the project area.  However, Cedrusdeodara, Quercusdilatata and Pinuswillichiana were the most exploited fuelwoodplant species. We also observed that annually about 4809.86 tons of valuable wood is used for cooking and heating houses. During summer season, pressure on the forest for fuelwood is comparatively lesser as firewood is not used for heating houses during this period.

Keywords: Fuelwood, Deforestation, Hindukush, Northren Pakistan