Md. Abdul Halim

Traditional Utilization of Wild Date Palm (Phoenix sylvestris) in Rural Bangladesh: An Approach to Sustainable Biodiversity Management

A study was conducted to explore the traditional utilization pattern and indigenous management practices of wild date palm (Phoenix sylvestris Roxb) in the rural agrarian regions of Bangladesh. A multistage sampling method with 10% intensity and a semi-structured questionnaire were used for the study. The farmers manage the palm mainly for sap production with which sugar based secondary goods are manufactured. The sap is either used fresh as drink or after some sort of processing as molasses and/or alcoholic beverage. Seven diversified sites support the palm as its habitat and most palms (20.40%) occur in orchards. Besides growing naturally, the palm is also established in orchards using the wildings as the staple planting material. Although the medium category farmers own most of the palms (33%), a considerable portion (28.68%) of it is managed by the landless farmers, who earn a substantial livelihood from the palms. The farmers practice their own indigenous wisdom in every stage of the palm’s maintenance from planting through tapping for sap collection to the processing of products. If managed more scientifically on a sustainable basis with the collaboration of farmers’ indigenous knowledge, this familiar palm could be able to support the rural economy of the country to a great extent. Side by side, it would also be able to contribute to the richness of biodiversity in the region.

Use of plants in healthcare: a traditional ethno-medicinal practice in rural areas of southeastern Bangladesh

This study considered traditional ethno-medicinal practices of rural people of Feni district, Bangladesh, focusing on their utilization of medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge. Ninety households were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Plant resources are used to treat 26 different ailments ranging from simple cuts to diabetes. In total, 46 medicinal plants are as used, of which a third are trees. Homesteads are the primary source and few medicinal plants are cultivated. Aboveground plant parts are most used, particularly leaves. The diverse patterns of use of different medicinal plant parts shows the considerable indigenous knowledge of rural people and is generally widely available.

Comparative analysis of some selected macronutrients of soil in orange orchard and degraded forests in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

Status of organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), available potassium (K), calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) in three different depths (0–5 cm, 5–15 cm and 15–30 cm) on two hill slopes of 35% and 55% in orange orchard cultivated by the Mro tribe of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) were evaluated and compared with those in degraded bush forests, through digging three profiles in each land use. The content of all the five nutrients was found to be higher in the soil of orange orchard than in the soil of forest. But the variation was not consistent for both the slopes. The content varied depth wise also, having the highest value in surface soil in case of both the land uses on both the slopes. A mean available K content was significantly higher in orange orchard than in forest on 55% slope, while it was lower on 35% slope. Surface soil contained the nutrients of K and Ca with the amount of 0.2905-mg·g−1 soil and 3.025-mg·g−1 soil respectively in the orchard, while 0.1934-mg·g−1 soil and 1.6083-mg·g−1 soil were respectively in the forest. Organic carbon and total nitrogen were found more or less similar in surface soil on both the land uses showing a slight difference. Available P was found only in orange orchard, and in forest it was too little in amount to detect by the spectrophotometer. The degraded forests were poor in nutrient content due to high rate of soil erosion, which would be possible to be improved by bringing it under tree cover as proved by the adaptation of orange orchard there.

Evaluation of land-use pattern change in West Bhanugach Reserved Forest, Bangladesh, using remote sensing and GIS techniques

A study was conducted to investigate the land-use pattern change over a period of 18 years (1988–2006) by using remote sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS) technologies, in the West Bhanugach Reserved Forest, a hill forest, in Sylhet Forest Division of Bangladesh. The images were processed using ERDAS Imagine software. Both supervised and unsupervised approaches were applied and ground control points were collected using a GPS. Maps were prepared using GIS software. Results showed that vegetation cover drastically decreased from the year 1988 to 1996 (1 826 ha to 1 714.85 ha), but increased gradually from the year 1996 to 2006 (1 714.85 ha to 1 847.83 ha) due to the initiation of co-management practice involving local communities. Change in bare land was inversely proportionate to the amount of vegetation cover changes unless any other land-uses were converted into bare land. The area of water bodies increased from the year 1988 to 1996 (307.67 ha to 379.53 ha), but decreased from the year 1996 to 1997, then remained invariabile from the year 1997 to 2006. Some recommendations were also made for applying the RS and GIS techniques to study the land-use pattern change in the Bhanugach Reserved Forest and to create a GIS data base for the study area.

Comparative evaluation of physical properties in soils of orange orchard and bushy forest in chittagong hill tracts, Banglandesh

The physical properties of soil on two hill slopes of 35% and 55% in orange orchard cultivated by the Mro tribe of Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) were evaluated and compared with those of bushy hill forests. Soil samples were collected from three different depths (0–5 cm, 5–15 cm and 15–30 cm), digging three profiles in each land use for determining moisture content, organic matter content and particle density. Maximum water holding capacity, field capacity, dry and moist bulk density and porosity were determined only for the surface soils. Moisture content at all the soil depths was significantly higher (p ≤ 0.05) in orange orchard than in forest on both the slopes. Orange orchard contained lower mean soil organic matter than forest on 55% slope, while it contained higher values on 35% slope compared to forest. The highest value of the above two properties was found at surface soil in both the land uses on both the slopes, decreasing with the increase of soil depth. On both the slopes maximum water holding capacity and porosity of surface soil and particle density at all soil depths were lower in orange orchard compared to those in forest. Field capacity values of surface soil did not show consistency in trend for the differences between the two land uses on both the slopes. Bulk density value of moist and dry surface soil was higher in orange orchard than in forest on both the hill slopes.

Research Communication: Biodiversity use through harvesting faunal resources from forests by the Mro tribe in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

An exploratory study was conducted on the hunting and gathering of wildlife by the Mro tribe in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of Bangladesh, highlighting the target animals, preference, frequency and various indigenous techniques of hunting. The farmers are primarily dependent on shifting cultivation and hunting is a secondary occupation, particularly important for poor people. Though the tribe rears some domestic animals for sacrificing on special occasions, game meat appears to be a highly welcomed dietary supplement. A total of 34 species of wildlife were harvested from forests, from insect larvae to elephants. Wild boar ranked first for rich and medium farmers, and monitor lizards were ranked second by all the farmers. The indigenous knowledge about their living patterns and animals has potential for use in commercial animal farming to fulfil the protein demand and improve the socio-economic condition of the Mro.

Management and economic value of Schumannianthus dichotoma in rural homesteads in the Sylhet region of Bangladesh

Schumannianthus dichotoma (Murta) is widely grown in wetland areas of Bangladesh, providing the raw material for prayer and bed mats and also minimizing flood risk and soil erosion. The study was carried out in two villages in Gowainghat Thana (subdistrict) in Sylhet district, to determine techniques for traditional management of Murta plantations and its role in the household economy. On average, about 13% of the total homestead area is used for Murta plantations. Propagation was from rhizomes and branch cuttings, and little intensive management was required. Harvesting was usually done annually, from mid-September to the end of March. Three-quarters of respondents were directly involved in Murta-based cottage enterprises, providing an average annual income of US

Density, diversity, composition and distribution of street trees in Sylhet Metropolitan City of Bangladesh

216: 43% of total income. Net average profit per man-day from selling articles varies from US

INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE IN NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT BY THE HILL PEOPLE: A CASE OF THE MRO TRIBE IN BANGLADESH

0.23 to 0.73. Middlemen make significant profits, due to lack of marketing knowledge and available market information and marketing facilities of the villagers. The cultivation and processing of Murta has great potential for the rural economy of such areas.

An allometric equation for estimating stem biomass of Acacia auriculiformis in the north-eastern region of Bangladesh

Both for environmental and aesthetic purposes, urban street trees have significant importance. In most of the developed cities, this type of plantation is an integral part of landscape planning. Nevertheless, this issue is poorly considered in the cities of developing countries. Consequently, we observe a scarcity of urban street trees. Considering this scenario, we explored the state of urban street tree planting in Sylhet City, which is a growing urban centre in Bangladesh. We assessed the density, diversity, composition and distribution of street trees in the city using different diversity computation indices (e.g. relative abundances, dominance, importance and richness, evenness and diversity) in main and link roads. We also measured the growth pattern of the trees in the study area. It was found that out of 486 studied transects in both main and link roads, 404 had no trees. Sweitenia mahagoni was the dominant species in both road categories. The Mann Whitney U test results suggest that there was no significant difference in tree density and size attributes between the road categories. From these assessments, we concluded that the diversity and distribution of street trees in the study area was very limited. Moreover, there was no scientific arboricultural consideration in species selection to increase street tree planting for the city. We conclude that only proper management and objective-specific endeavor can change the prevailing scenario of the study area.