Abstract

A survey of natural vegetation of semi arid area was undertaken in 2010-2011. The study was conducted within four distinct stands further divided into 22 sites for clear communities’ segregation. Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA) were used for the plant species and community analysis. Plant species of each community are presented together with the information on dominance and sub-dominance species. Five plant association, that is, Cenchrus-Saccharum-Prosopis association,Cenchrus-Eragrostis-Calligonum association, Zizyphus-Cenchrus-Eragrostis association,Rhazya-Fagonia-Cymbopogon association and Aerua-Boerhavia-Zizyphus associationwere recognized on the basis of communities and plant species gave rise to 5 groups. The average highest important value was initiated in Zizyphus maurtiana (23.7), Cenchrus biflorus (23) and Eragrostis poaoides (21.4). Classification and ordination techniques provided very similar results based on the floristic composition and communities similarity. The results produced the source for the mapping division of plant communities.

Key words: Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA), detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), distribution patterns, plants association, summer, Pakistan.