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| Department of Botany Introduction | Admissions | Faculty | Courses | Research | Contact |
Research & Publications
Researches
The department of Botany at the University of Karachi has developed
a large and productive research and teaching group in plant sciences.
Members of the faculty are working in many specialized fields of plant
sciences and are endeavoring to enhance our knowledge of the plant world.
Applied Botany
The main topics of research in this section are plant tissue culture, plant embryology, cell wall biochemistry and biological nitrogen fixation. Research interest is in the production of transformed plants of vegetables and fruits using somatic embryogenesis, anther culture and cell selection techniques to be grown under normal and controlled environmental conditions. Work in embryology includes experimental studies on the life cycle of ferns in order to explore the stage at which activation and inactivation of genes responsible for the distinctive features of alternating generations takes place. A reinvestigation of embryology of some members of the family Solanaceae is also underway. Work in the field of biological nitrogen fixation mainly emphasizes the mode of infection in nodule development, structure and nature of nodules and characterization of microsymbionts on the basis of biochemistry, flagellar characters and N2 fixing potential of tree legumes with particular reference to cell wall biochemistry. This involves the qualitative and quantitative estimation of cell wall polymers with particular reference to cellulose which forms raw material for paper industry.
Mycology and Plant Pathology
Researches of both basic and applied nature are being carried out. These
include seed pathology of economically important crops, foliar and root
diseases of betelvine, identification of yeast with industrial, medicinal,
and agricultural use and detection of secondary metabolites from yeasts
and Fusarium spp. Parasites and predators of plant parasitic nematodes
and root infecting fungi have been isolated and identified and various
biological agents have been used for the control of root infecting fungi
and nematodes. Nematicidal activity from seaweeds, reduction in viability
of fungal propagules by organic amendments and their elimination by
polythene mulching of soils have opened a new vista of an integrated
control of soil borne fungi and nematodes. Investigations on the development
of disease suppressiveness are also in progress. There is a good collection
of mycological specimens in the Mycological Herbarium of the department.
Phycology and Marine Botany
The seaweed flora in the coastal areas of Karachi has been studied taxonomically.
Survey of phytoplankton and seasonal variation of the algal population
in the North Arabian Sea has been studied from the nutritional and ecological
viewpoints. The occurrence and toxicity of harmful algal bloom caused
by Dinoflagellates and other phytoplanktons have also been assessed.
Work on phycochemistry of marine benthic algae growing along the coast
of Karachi has also been carried out and several saturated and unsaturated
fatty acids, sterols, terpenes, glycosides, secondary metabolites and
other natural products have been isolated and chemically elucidated.
There is a vast collection of both marine and fresh water algae. Studies
are also being conducted on the Mangrove Ecosystem of Pakistan with
emphasis on heavy metal pollution.
Plant Ecology
Plant ecology is an important area of teaching and research at the Department
of Botany. Many studies have been conducted which are associated with
different problems of ecological nature. To study the relation of organisms
to their environment, ecologists have to undertake experimental studies,
which have one thing in common, that is the collection of data to test
hypotheses. In this section, the methods and problems associated with
sampling, ordination and classification of plant communities are investigated.
Studies in relation to plant and soil are also in progress. Industrial
and automobile activities are the prime cause of air, water and soil
pollution. In this regard, some research has been done to elucidate
the effects of these pollutants on vegetation distribution. Moreover,
the effects of heavy metal toxicity on plant species have also been
evaluated.
Researches are also being conducted on the ecological management of
inter-tidal, coastal and inland saline ecosystems, screening and development
of cash-crop halophytes. Laboratory and field experiments are also in
progress to develop fodder plant with brackish water irrigation. Specific
research interest includes differential effects of light, salinity and
temperature on seed germination, role of dormancy relieving compounds
on the release of salinity induced seed dormancy of halophytes, seed
bank, primary dormancy and demography of halophytes and salinity effects
on the growth and salt tolerance of halophytes under both laboratory
and semi-controlled conditions.
Plant Physiology
Researches are in progress in the utilization of brackish water for
irrigation and cultivation of plants along the sandy coastal belt. Effects
of various aspects of environmental pollution have been studied on the
quantity and quality of crops with respect to pesticides, auto-exhaust,
simulated acid rain and toxic heavy metals with emphasis on lead pollution.
As a part of solid waste management, nitrogenous biofertilizer has been
prepared from bagasse and compost from Sabzimandi and kitchen waste.
Agricultural soil and irrigation water of several agricultural villages
located in the outskirts of Karachi have been analyzed both qualitatively
and quantitatively for the presence of pollutants. Work on growth hormones,
mechanical stress on plants and biochemical changes in healthy and diseased
plants are also under investigation.
Systematic Botany
The Department of Botany has earned international recognition for the
Flora of Pakistan edited by Professor Dr. S. I. Ali and Professor Dr.
M. Qaiser. Taxonomic accounts of 214 plant families have been published
which have now become a standard source of reference on the plant wealth
of Pakistan. The Karachi University Herbarium has a collection of over
150,000 plant specimens collected form different regions of Pakistan
for over 5 decades along with some historic collections belonging to
the British era. The section has also built up a unique collection of
scientific literature on plants which, coupled with the herbarium has
now become one of the best institutions for the teaching of Systematic
Botany in the country. Contributions in the fields of Cytology, Palynology,
Chemotaxonomy, Phytogeography, Reproductive Biology etc., have also
been very significant. Intensive studies on the plant biodiversity of
Gilgit, Naltar, Hunza, Indus delta, Hub River vicinity and Kirthar Range
are presently in progress; besides Biosystematic studies on various
taxa and pollen storage techniques.
Publications
More than 1956 research papers with an average publication rate of 38
papers per year have been published in journals of international repute.
The Pakistan Journal of Botany, an official publication of Pakistan
Botanical Society is also published from the Botany Department, University
of Karachi.
- A
complete list of publication can be viewed and downloaded here
- List of publications during 2006 - 07 is available here
- Yearly comparison of the papers published by the dept. of Botany here
- DSc in Botany here
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