STAFF REPORT KHI: The Federal Urdu University has recently conducted a two-day conference on Climate Change and Bio Resources of Pakistan with the main aim to check the status of climate change and its effects on the bio resources of the country.
The conference was the result of joint collaborators of GeoLink Pvt. Ltd., Karachi University, PMNH (Pakistan Museum of Natural History), Islamabad, EMPOWER, and SCCDA (Sindh Coastal Community Development Authority).
Prof. Dr. Moinuddin Ahmed, the Chief Organiser of the event stressed upon the importance Dendrochronology.
Dr. S. Aneel Gilani, the guest speaker from PMNH, presented his paper on the conservation status of the tree species in Ayubia National Park. He highlighted the conservation threats to the precious tree species mainly the Gymnosperms in Ayubia National Park.
The people in the Ayubia National Park are directly or indirectly dependent on the natural resources of the area for the food, medicine, fuel wood and timber purposes, he said.
The main Gymnosperm (tree) species in the area included Pinus Wallichiana, Abies Pindrow, Picea Smithiana, Taxus Wallichiana and Cedrus Deodara.
The speakers emphasized that these species are also medicinally important and stressed the need for education and awareness among the local people for the conservation of these species and not to over-exploit and over harvest the natural resources so that these species may not get endangered or extinct in future.