Land resources and management Brief info about climatic zones of Pakistan all the zones of Pakistan related to agriculture for references check book of Crop production by shafi nazir

1. LAND RESOURCES AND
MANAGEMENT
Muhammad Fraz Ali

2. CLIMATIC ZONES OF PAKISTAN
• Pakistan lies approximately between latitude 24 and 37 North
and Longitudes 61 and 76 East,
• To its Northeast are situated the world’s biggest mountains
range “The Hindukush, Karakorams and Himalayas.
• Western Border with Afghanistan and Iran too, Mountainous
country that steadily looses height southward. Northern part
of this border is crossed by number of passes.
• All these physical features have a great effect not only on the
temperature and rainfall pattern of Pakistan but also on the
general circulation of the atmosphere on southern Asia.

3. CLIMATIC ZONES OF PAKISTAN
Climate of Pakistan falls into following 5 climatic types .
1.Tropical Semiarid climate with mild winter, this include Karachi,
Hyderabad and southern Khairpur division, means annual temperature
is above 18 degree.
2. Subtropical semiarid climate with average annual temperature
about 18 degree and distinct, short winter. Include southern Kalat and
whole of the Indus plain from Lahore, Rawalpindi and DI Khan division
to northern half of Khairpur division.
3. Semiarid climate with rather summer. Include hilly region of
southern NWFP and southern Azad Kashmir, Zhob, Quetta and half
Kalat division

4. Climatic Zones of Pakistan
4. Moist temperate climate with the average
temperature of coldest month below 10, warm
summer with mean temperature with warmest
month between 10 and 22 . Include central
mountainous area of NWFP and Kashmir and
northern hilly areas of Punjab.
5. Alpine Climate with average temperature with
warmest month between 10 and 0. It includes
Baltistan, gilgit, northern Chitral and parts of
Kashmir including Ladakh.

5. SOIL ZONES OF PAKISTAN
Geographically Pakistan has a highly diversified landscape and environment.
Different kinds of soil found in Pakistan fall into following 9 broad ecological zones
1. Northern Mountainous Region
This region includes the mountains of Himalayas, Karakoram
and Hindukush. Several types of climate is found in this region.
Soil has a high content of organic matter and abundant
moisture at lower depth. Soil reaction varies from alkaline to
medium acidic. Natural vegetation over the areas is coniferous
trees.

6. SOIL ZONES OF PAKISTAN
2. Western Mountainous Region
This region covers Baluchistan, Suleman ranges, Waziristan Agencies
and Kirthar Plateau. There is a huge variation in soil material from
parent rocks and soil parent material. Contains varying proportion of
calcite. Except for some semi arid surroundings, bannu, zhob, Lorelai
and Quetta the region is arid. Native vegetation is a mixture of trees,
shrub and grasses. Soil is finer with distance from the mountains.
Organic matter content of soil is quite low average about 0.45 %. The
soil is variable calcareous

7. SOIL ZONES OF PAKISTAN
3. Pothwar Upland
Pothwar plateau has semi arid to sub humid, subtropical, continental climate.
Natural vegetation is tall thorny shrubs, Scattered trees and variety of grasses.
Native vegetation is to bring the land under cultivation. At present extensively area is
used for dry farmed arable cropping. Cropping pattern and intensity depend upon
the availability of moisture.

8. 4.Sandy Deserts
A large area of sand deposits occurring in Thal , Thar , Cholistan and
Chaghi Kharan deserts. The major portion of the zone has arid subtropical
continental climate. This salient feature of climate are low rainfall and
atmospheric humidity and large seasonal and day and night variation in
temperature. There is surface of perennial grasses. Natural plant cover is
used for large scale grazing and livestock production in drier areas. The
protective plant covers has totally disappeared resulting in wind erosion
and sand dunes.
SOIL ZONES OF PAKISTAN

9. Soil Zones of Pakistan
5. Piedmont Plains
Region consists of Suleman ranges and Indus river, kachi plain and bannu
basin. All the area is made up of Alluvial sediments. Sediment form of
variety of rocks. But the major contribution is of calcareous rocks. The
region has sub-tropical and continental climate characterized by hot
summer. The soil may be slightly saline which is easily eliminated by few
irrigation.
6. Old RiverTerraces
This region consists in the middle parts of the major river of the Punjab.
The sediments are loamy and silty. They are calcareous and of mixed
mineral contents. This region has subtropical and continental climate.
Native vegetation is throne forest which is disappeared as a result of
colonialization. A variety of irrigated cropping is practiced in this area.

10. Soil Zones of Pakistan
7. Sub- recent rivers plains.
Area lie between old river and present river flood plains. The nature of sediments their
dispositional patter and their re-arrangements are similar to bar areas, The soils are
formed to moderate depth only.
8. Recent River Plains
Flood plains of major rivers along with river streams make up this region. This land is
subject to periodic flooding. Sedimentation is still going in some parts. The area is
generally free of salinity. Process of burial of soil underneath forest deposition, erosion or
currently active in this land form.
9. Indus Delta
This zone include Indus river extending from a little south of Hyderabad to the sea. Major
part of area consist of Estuary deposits. The surface gradient of the Estuary plain is very
small. Coastal area consists of very strongly saline clay tides with some narrow tides
ridges. Dominant soil of the area are severely saline. The soils are very difficult to
cultivate due to salinity, where these soils have been under old irrigated cultivation. They
are not saline.

11. THANKS