## 3 Results
### Understory Classification  
A total of 58 plant species were recorded as associates in the understory vegetation and clustered into three major groups by applying [PERSON]'s agglomerative clustering (Figure 4 and Table 2). Among 58 species, 43 plant species were found in association with group III, clearly indicating the species' wide sociability in the studied oak-dominated forests. Moreover, the analysis reveals that IVI of _Berberis livcium_ [PERSON] (7.82), _Convolulus arrenesis_ L. (6.87), and _Aspelnium trichomanes_ L. (6.6) were the most abundant species in group III. Group II was recorded intermediately diverse in understory species having 25 plant species with _Calamintha vulgaris_ (L.) [PERSON], _Dryopteris stewartii_ [PERSON], and _Plantago lancelata_ [PERSON] as the dominant associates having IVI of 11.5, 9.34, and 9.86, respectively. The results revealed group I as the less diverse in terms of species (18 species) and _B. livcium_ having IVI of 9.86, _A. trichomanes_ (9.14), and _Indigofera heterantha_ Wall. [PERSON]. (8.93) were the most abundant species.  
Figure 3: Leaf size classes of the plant species recorded in the understory vegetation of oak-dominated forests of Swat, Pakistan.  
Figure 4: Cluster dendrogram classifying understory vegetation into three distinct groups. Note: G (Group); St (Stand).  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c} \hline \hline \multirow{2}{*}{**Species Name**} & \multirow{2}{*}{**Code**} & **Cluster I** & **Cluster II** & **Cluster III** \\ \cline{2-5}  & & **M**\(\pm\)**SE** & **M**\(\pm\)**SE** & **M**\(\pm\)**SE** \\ \hline _Advanthes aspera_ L. & As & 2.41 \(\pm\) 2.41 & - & - \\ _Adiantum venustum_ D. Don & Av & - & - & 0.77 \(\pm\) 0.77 \\ _Ajuga bracteosa_ Wall. ex Benth. & Ab & 3.87 \(\pm\) 2.65 & - & - \\ _Amaranthus viridis_ L. & Am & 5.10 \(\pm\) 3.23 & - & 2.41 \(\pm\) 1.44 \\ _Arabidopsis thaliana_ ([PERSON] [PERSON]. & At & - & - & 1.16 \(\pm\) 0.79 \\ _Arenaria serpylilifolia_ L. & Am & - & - & 0.53 \(\pm\) 0.53 \\ _Artinius vulgaris_ L. & Av & 7.2 \(\pm\) 4.71 & - & - \\ _Aspleinum trichomas_ L. & As & 9.14 \(\pm\) 4.71 & 4.23 \(\pm\) 4.23 & 6.6 \(\pm\) 2.6 \\ _Astragalus granulains_ Benth. & Ag & - & - & 0.53 \(\pm\) 0.53 \\ _Atropa acuminata_ [PERSON] ex Lindl. & Aa & 3.4 \(\pm\) 3.46 & - & 2.42 \(\pm\) 2.43 \\ _Berberis lycium_ [PERSON] & B & 9.86 \(\pm\) 5.49 & 7.66 \(\pm\) 4.91 & 7.82 \(\pm\) 3.54 \\ _Bidens certain_ L. & Ec & - & 1.71 \(\pm\) 1.71 & - \\ _Buddleiz asiatica [PERSON]_ & Ba & 0.93 \(\pm\) 0.93 & - & 1.69 \(\pm\) 1.17 \\ _Calamintha vulgaris_ (L.) [PERSON]. & Cv & - & 11.5 \(\pm\) 4.11 & 3.46 \(\pm\) 1.66 \\ _Chenopodium album_ L. & Ca & - & 4.4 \(\pm\) 4.42 & - \\ _Convolulus arrenesis_ L. & Ca & 2.5 \(\pm\) 2.52 & 4.2 \(\pm\) 2.74 & 6.87 \(\pm\) 1.76 \\ _Erigeron candensis_ [PERSON]. & Co & 0.85 \(\pm\) 0.85 & - & - \\ _Cynodon dactylon_ (L.) [PERSON]. & Cd & 7 \(\pm\) 5 & 6.17 \(\pm\) 6.17 & 4.88 \(\pm\) 3.32 \\ _Dapline mucmata [PERSON]_ & Dm & 3.83 \(\pm\) 3.83 & - & 1.94 \(\pm\) 1.34 \\ _Discosora deltoid Wall. ex Griseb. & Dd & 1.83 \(\pm\) 1.83 & - & - \\ _Dodatome visoca_ Jacq. & Do & 1.42 \(\pm\) 1.42 & - & - \\ _Dryopteris stewartiti_ [PERSON]. & Ds & - & 9.86 \(\pm\) 9.86 & - \\ _Elaagens angusitifolia_ L. & Ea & 2.3 \(\pm\) 2.3 & - & - \\ _Festuca gigantea_ (L.) [PERSON]. & Fg & - & - & 0.46 \(\pm\) 0.46 \\ \hline \hline \end{tabular}
\end{table}
Table 2: Understory flora associated with oak-dominated forest recorded in the three clusters separated by [PERSON]’s agglomerative clustering procedure.