**1. Introduction**

Azad Jammu and Kashmir valley extends between 34°22′25 North latitude and 73°28′14 East longitude. Muzaffarabad is capital city of Kashmir and total area covered by Kashmir valley is 13,297 square kilometers. Estimated population of Azad Jammu and Kashmir is about 4-million. Mean maximum temperature was documented during summer (16 °C–24 °C) while −4 °C was recorded mean minimum temperature during winter. AJK is rich in diversity of plants because of its expanded habitations, such as streams, springs, nullahs, lakes, rivers, steep mountain slopes and roads, waste lands and cultivated fields, etc.

### **2. Geographical conditions and topography**

The area of valley can be divided into two geographical zones; East and North are mostly hilly and mountainous categorized by undulating terrain, deep ravines,

#### **Figure 1.**

*(a) Sudhen Gali district Bagh (b) Tolipeer district Poonch (c) Neelum valley (d) Areng khel Neelum valley (e) Leepa valley (f) Las Dana.*

and rugged (Neelum, Muzaffarabad, Hattian, Bagh, Haveli, Poonch, and Sudhnoti) while South and West are valleys and plains (Kotli, Mirpur, Bhimber) (**Figure 1**).
