PASTURE MANAGEMENT IN HIGH ALTITUDE PHASTI VALLEY OF CHITRAL

Recognizing the diversity of vegetation, particularly weeds, is important in sorting out relationship between environmental changes, community composition and ecological processes. The effect of different methods of estimating relative abundance was needed to be addressed. In the present study, results of forage production represented higher values in the fenced area than in open grazing sites in both years during 2001-02 in Phasti valley of Chitral, Pakistan. The percent vegetation of the protected area recorded was 70% and barren soil was 29%; while in open grazing sites the vegetation decreased to 45% and the barren soil was increased to 55%. The percent vegetation which led to increased forage production was found to be higher inside the enclosure. Grazing capacity and forage production were found to be higher in fenced sites as compared to non-protected sites. The quantity of the animals in the area was too high to be fed with the existing forage production. Approximately 25 goats and sheep per family excluding cows, buffalos, horses and donkeys were recorded and the quality of these animals was also very low mainly because of feeding on low quality forage including mostly weedy species.