The increased pressures generated by human activities in form of climate change and habitat fragmentation have caused serious threats for Sindh ibex (Capra aegagrus blythii). Balochistan, recognized as one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change in Pakistan, has limited data on the distribution and population status of this species. To address this gap, our study aims to assess the spatial and temporal distribution and population trend of Sindh ibex in the Khuzdar and Lasbela districts of Balochistan. The study covered an area of approximately 45,123.97 km². It involved a double-observer survey at ten sites from 2019 to 2022, using the BBRecapture package in the R programming language to estimate ibex population trend and dispersion. We provided a comprehensive update of the species geographic range, along with estimates of its current abundance and population trends. Over the course of four years, the ibex population fluctuated. The ibexes detected dropped from 720 (male to female ratio 1:1.21) and 710 (male to female ratio 1:1.08) in 2019 and 2020, respectively, to 550 (male to female ratio 1:1.35) and 548 (male to female ratio 1:1.09). Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the population trends, gender ratios, habitat preferences, and density of Sindh ibex in Balochistan over the four-year period. These findings contribute significantly to the baseline data on the species ecology and will further help in the conservation of these species at local scale.

Himalayan ‘Ecotone’ temperate conifer forest is the cradle of life for human survival and wildlife existence. In spite of the importance of these areas, they have not been studied in depth. This study aimed to quantify the floristic structure, important value index (IVI), topographic and edaphic variables between 2019 and 2020 utilizing circular quadrant method (10 m x 10 m). The upper-storey layer consisted of 17 tree species belongs to 12 families and 9 orders. Middle-storey shrubs comprised of 23 species representing 14 families and 12 orders. A total of 43 species of herbs, grasses, and ferns were identified from the ground-storey layer, representing 25 families and 21 orders. Upper-storey vegetation structure was dominated by Pinus roxburghii (22.45 %) and middle-storey by Dodonaea viscosa (7.69 %). However, the ground layer vegetation was diverse in species composition (43 species) and distribution. The floral vegetation structure was encompassing of three floral communities which were diverse in IVI, such as, in Piro–Aial (Group 2), Pinus roxburghii (54.46 x 15.94) had the highest IVI value, followed by Pinus wallichiana (45.21 x 14.85) in Piwa–Quin (Group 3) and Ailanthus altissima (22.84 x 19.25) in Aial–Qugal (Group 1). However, the IVI values for Aesculus indica, Celtis australis, and Quercus incana in Aial–Qugal (Group 1) were not determined due to low detection rate. Nevertheless, eleven of these species showed 0 IVI values in Piro–Aial (Group 2) and Piwa–Quin (Group 3). CCA ordination biplot illustrated the significant differences among floral communities and its distribution, which impacted by temperature, rainfall, soil pH, altitude, and topographic features. Ward's agglomerative clustering finding reflected 'Ecotone' temperate conifer forest is rich and diverse floristic structure.