Evaluating potential of dry afforestation techniques on barren land in Attock

Deforestation poses a serious environmental threat turning huge vegetative areas into barren lands in Pakistan and may also cause the extinction of native plant species and wildlife. Pothowar plateau being located in the semiarid zone of Pakistan is severely affected by erosion because of less forest cover and less rainfall resulting in large areas shifting to barren lands. Deforestation, unpredictability, and short durational rainfall are the key causative agents. Dry afforestation is a well-known technique for land reclamation in arid and semi-arid areas. Dry afforestation is an efficient way of utilizing rainwater for tree growth and increasing vegetative cover. This research was conducted in Attock (located in the Pothowar plateau). The research duration was one year (February 2022-2023). The main objective of this research was the evaluation and comparison of dry afforestation techniques in terms of indigenous vegetation growth so that rainwater can be utilized to the maximum extent. Two different dry afforestation techniques including troughs and bunds were tested to reclaim the barren area. Three indigenous species including Acacia nilotica, Acacia modesta, and Dodonaea viscosa were selected for study purposes on dry afforestation techniques. The performance potential of both techniques was evaluated based on different plant growth parameters. Results from plant growth data concluded that, in terms of plant height Dodonaea viscosa and Acacia nilotica performed better on troughs while Acacia modesta performed better on bunds with significant variation in Acacia modesta and Acacia nilotica tree species. In terms of the number of leaves, there was no significant variation found after analysis however Dodonaea viscosa and Acacia nilotica performed better on bunds while Acacia modesta performed better on troughs. In terms of the number of branches Dodonaea viscosa and Acacia nilotica performed better on bunds while Acacia modesta showed better growth on troughs.