Fabaceae / Papilionaceae

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1.1
1.6
Land use systems:
Sindh is one of the fastest growing regions of the country. Its rapid growth patterns and
urbanization changes its land use system. Land in Sindh is under different uses such as
human settlements, agriculture, industries, roads, rangelands, forests and wetlands.
Although more than 50 percent of the total geographical area is cultivable, only 26 percent of it
is actually located in the central plain. The land inside Indus embankments is almost equally
employed by agriculture and forestry, while that outside the embankments is more extensively
utilized for agriculture in the form of sparsely distributed irrigated plantations.
02
2.1
2.2.1
Ecological Profile:
Sindh is blessed with a variety of wildlife and different ecological zones. Mainly it has four
ecological zones: Hill ranges of Khirthar and Kohistan in the west, sandy desert in the east,
central alluvial plains along Indus River and Indus delta in the south.
Ecoregion:
As defined by scientists at the World Wide Fund (WWF), “ an ecoregion (ecological region),
sometimes also called a bioregion, is an ecologically relatively large unit of land that contains
geographically distinct assemblage of species, natural communities and environmental
conditions” (foreverindus.org). According to IUCN’s scientists “ eco-regions share a large
majority of their species and ecological dynamics; share similar environmental conditions,
and; interact ecologically in ways that are critical for their long-term persistence”. There are
over 238 ecoregions over the globe, popularly known as G 200, representing terrestrial, fresh
water and, marine habitats. Eco-regions reflect the distribution of a broad range of fauna and
flora across the entire planet. The biodiversity of flora, fauna and ecosystems that
characterize an ecoregion tends to be distinct from that of other ecoregion.
Indus Ecoregion:
The Global 200 Analysis identified five
eco-regions in Pakistan. The Indus
Ecoregion is the only ecoregion that lies
entirely within Pakistan’s boundaries
particularly in Sindh province. Being
located in a semi-arid environment, Indus
ecoregion harbors Riverine forests along
the Indus River, mangrove forests in the
coastal areas while desert ecosystems
occupy the periphery. Indus ecoregion is
regarded as the 40th most biologically
rich ecoregions in the Asia-pacific region;
it covers approximately 65% Of the
province of Sindh and partially or fully
covers 18 districts of Sindh including Map of Indus Ecoregion
Hyderabad, Dadu, Shaheed Benazirabad (formerly Nawabshah), Sanghar, Khairpur and
Umer Kot. It includes the lower reaches of River Indus, the Riverine forests, freshwater Lakes,
brackish water, salt Lakes and the Indus delta along with mangrove forests
(foreverindus.org).