This study aims to estimate phytodiversity and its relation with environment, and soil of Mahasheer National Park, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Field data was recorded from fifteen different sites of the study area. Quadrat method was used for the sampling of vegetation. Exact location of each site, altitude, exposure, as well as geographical coordinates was noted by using geographical positioning system (GPS). To analyze the significance of environmental variables, multivariate statistical analysis was carried out using two way clustering, canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and general linear model (GLM) response curves. Floristically, 109 plant species belonging to 46 families were recorded from this habitat. Among families, Poaceae was most commonly distributed that represents 15 species. Two way cluster analysis categorized the vegetation into four major plant communities. CCA was used to analyze the vegetation-environment relation with plant species portraying significant correlation response against altitudinal gradient, total nitrogen, electrical conductivity and calcium contents. GLM response curve demonstrated that Cynodon dactylon was the most dominant species in the area followed by Dalbergia sissoo and Adhatoda zeylinica. The present work provided the baseline information about the floristic and ecological diversity of the area. It suggested that area is floristically rich, and is needed to be analyzed in detail by researchers.

Keywords: AJK, Mahasheer, cluster analysis, canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), general linear model (GLM), phytodiversity.