International Journal of Forest Sciences (2024). 4(3):248-256 248 Fish Diversity and Assemblages along the Altitudinal Gradients of Ghamot National Park Forest Streams the State Biosphere-Reserve Neelum Valley, Pakistan Muhammad Jahangeer* 1, 2 , Muhammad Siddique Awan 1, 2 ,Muhammad Bashir 2 ,Muhammad Shakeel Awan 3 , Mir Muhammad Saleem 2 , Usman Ali 4 , Abid Hussain 2 and Riaz Aziz Minhas 2 1. Kashmir Environmental and Biodiversity conservation organization Muzaffarabad, 13100 Azad Kashmir, Pakistan 2. Department of Zoology, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Muzaffarabad, 13100 Azad Kashmir, Pakistan 3. Department of Botany, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Muzaffarabad, 13100 Azad Kashmir Pakistan 4. Department of Zoology, Mirpur University of Science and Technology Mirpur Azad Kashmir, Pakistan *Corresponding author e-mail: khushikhlaqjahangeer@gmail.com SUMMARY The first and most basic stage in developing successful conservation strategies is to understand fundamental features of ecology, such as patterns of fish species distribution and biodiversity in forest streams. Despite being one of the biodiversity hotspots, investigations on altitudinal variations in fish species and assemblages in Ghamot National Park forest streams are limited. As a result, surveys on the composition of freshwater fish were conducted along the altitudinal gradients of the Ghamot National Park Neelum Valley Azad Kashmir, Pakistan. A total of eight sites were surveyed and sampled along the Surgan stream and its four typical tributaries, namely Alihol Stream, Kamakhodari Nar, Saral Nar, and Noori nar. The majority of the tributary sample locations were shadowed by extensive riparian vegetation. Surveys were carried out from April to August of 2021, which corresponds to the dry season in the research region. The cast and gillnet methods were utilized to survey the fishes in the study region. In all, 57 individuals representing 5 species from 4 families of fish were documented in the research area's stream water. The Salmonidae were the most numerous family, accounting for 40% of all species collected. Sisoridae (n=1, 20%), Cyprinidae (n=1, 20%), and Nemacheilidae (n=1, 20. Triplophysa kashmirensi was the most abundant species in all sample sites (n=22, 38.59%). Fish abundance decreased substantially with rising altitude throughout the midstream section, most likely due to the meandering character of the midstream sector and tributary input. Elevation has a substantial influence on the structure of the area's fish assemblages. The diversity (H') was highest in the Surgan main stream (2.28), and lowest in the Riparian zone (1.70). Keywords: Surgan stream, Conservation, Riparian zone, Abundance, Richness INTRODUCTION Changes in the composition and biodiversity of fish species have been widely documented (Jaramillo et al., 2010; Lorion et al., 2011). The majority of the investigations addressed a broad spectrum of altitudinal gradients of fish assemblages up to a few thousand meters above sea level (Altaf, 2016). For example, the distinctness of the fish fauna increased with elevation in streams in Colombia's central Andes, where the highest turnover was found between 1000 and 1750 m above sea level, with approximately 90% of the species reported between 250 and Research Paper Open Access