The direct effects of relative humidity and soil on aboveground biomass (AGB) versus the indirect effects mediated by stand structural diversity remain unclear in forest ecosystems across large-scale elevation gradients. Forest inventory data containing 15,260 individual trees and 104 tree species from 200 forest plots were collected. The result shows that the relative humidity, elevation, and Coefficient of Variation of Diameter at breast height (CVD) significantly influence AGB in the Tropical Thorn Forest (TTF). Regarding elevation, CVD was positive and significant, and relative humidity and SR negatively impacted AGB in sub-tropical broad-leaved forests (STBLF). In moist temperate mixed forests (MTMF), soil phosphorus and CVD have a significant positive impact, while relative humidity, elevation, and SR negatively influence AGB. Elevation and CVD have positive, while SR and soil phosphorus have a negative and insignificant effect on AGB in Dry Temperate Conifer Forests (DTCF). Soil phosphorus and relative humidity positively affected AGB (β = 0.021), while elevation, CVD, and SR negatively affect AGB in dry temperate, pure pine forests (DTPPF). Relative humidity and soil phosphorus have a positive direct effect on AGB in multi-species forests. The current study suggests that AGB primarily depends on relative humidity, soil phosphorus, and elevation in different forest types.

Ornamental plant species are mostly grown for aesthetic purposes, for their fruits, vegetables, flowers, and medicinal value. Houses are decorated with various annual and perennial plants. The present study was performed to assess the ornamental plant composition, abundance, and distribution pattern with a special reference to gardening practices/environmental variables in the Rustam Valley, Pakistan. Using quantitative ecological methods, different home gardens were observed at arbitrary intervals. The frequency, relative frequency, density, relative density, and importance values were measured to determine the most frequent and least frequent ornamental plant species in each type of habitat. The initial results showed a total of 43 ornamental plant species belonging to 30 families. Presence-absence data (1, 0) for the 43 ornamental species and 50 stations were analysed using cluster and two-way cluster analyses using the PC-ORD version 5, which resulted in the identification of four different ornamental plant communities. The CANOCO version 4.5 was used to evaluate the environmental and cultural gradients of ornamental plants through the canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). The positions of characteristic plant species in a particular community were confirmed using data attribute plots. The CCA plots of the ornamental and questionnaire data show that irrigation, home size, purpose of cultivation and the use of artificial fertilizers were the main factors affecting various ornamental plant communities. Additionally, further studies should be conducted to examine, conserve, and manage the ornamental plant species diversity and contributions of such species to livelihoods in the study area.