Documenting the distribution of Salvadora persica L., to establish a baseline on the pattern of its occurrence with the meteorological data and assessing its adaptation in the adjacent warmed up zones: a case study

A reconnaissance survey was conducted to document the natural occurrence of the S. persica L., stretching from coastal area of Arabian sea to north-word along the Indus flood plains in order to establish a baseline on the pattern of its occurrence with the available meteorological data. In addition, information was compiled from various sources to generate the past and present temperature data in order to establish relationship between the changing temperature factors and extent of area available due to climate change for introducing species beyond its range of distribution. In addition, the species was experimentally introduced in the warmed up zones to monitor its performance at regular interval to evaluate its adaptability. The reconnaissance survey showed that the natural populations of thorn forest communities with S. persica, as associate, are now surviving as degraded remnants. Its common occurrence is documented in zones where the mean winter temperatures are above the threshold level of frost, where as it is rarely found in zones where it drops below this level for a single month, which seems to be its range edge, as it does not occur in zones where low temperature persists for two months. Recent temperature data suggests that the month of December has warmed up above the threshold level north-word and therefore correspondingly the range edge of the frost sensitive species has potentially shifted further north. The response of the species over the years also suggests high survival and growth, demonstrating its adaptability to the new site beyond its limit of distribution.

Keywords: range edge, climate change, natural vegetation, adaptability, restoration.