POPULATION STATUS OF CRITICALLY ENDANGERED MEDICINAL PLANT “COMMIPHORA WIGHTII (ARN.) BHANDARI” AT KHUND MALIR, HINGOL NATIONAL PARK, BALOCHISTAN, PAKISTAN

Abstract

According to the vegetation assessment, total of 11 samples was collected by using random transect method, to assess species dominancy by multiple calculations including frequency, relative frequency, cover, related cover and important value index (IVI). The results reveals that Commiphora wightii is highly dominated species with the SDR value of 46.3 which is almost half of the total cover of the associated species in the study area, the second dominated species  with the SDR value of 12.3 was Inula grantioides belongs to family Asteraceae, the reason for their dominancy is its strong aroma which prevent it from grazing, the third dominant species was exotic and invasive species Prosopis juliflora with the SDR value of 8.57. Population of Commiphora wightii facing several threats at Kund Malir, Hingol National Park, including overgrazing, unsustainable exploitation and severe drought, if conservation initiatives has not been taken it may locally be extinct from the park.