S. M. Sirajul Haque

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.

Evaluating Integrated Watershed Management using multiple criteria analysis—a case study at Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh

Criteria and indicators assessment is one of the ways to evaluate management strategies for mountain watersheds. One framework for this, Integrated Watershed Management (IWM), was employed at Chittagong Hill Tracts region of Bangladesh using a multi-criteria analysis approach. The IWM framework, consisting of the design and application of principles, criteria, indicators, and verifiers (PCIV), facilitates active participation by diverse professionals, experts, and interest groups in watershed management, to explicitly address the demands and problems to measure the complexity of problems in a transparent and understandable way. Management alternatives are developed to fulfill every key component of IWM considering the developed PCIV set and current situation of the study area. Different management strategies, each focusing on a different approach (biodiversity conservation, flood control, soil and water quality conservation, indigenous knowledge conservation, income generation, watershed conservation, and landscape conservation) were assessed qualitatively on their potential to improve the current situation according to each verifier of the criteria and indicator set. Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), including sensitivity analysis, was employed to identify an appropriate management strategy according to overall priorities (i.e., different weights of each principle) of key informants. The AHP process indicated that a strategy focused on conservation of biodiversity provided the best option to address watershed-related challenges in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh.

Study on soils under shifting cultivation and other land use categories in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

Soil samples were collected and analyzed from 25 sites of three hilly regions (Rangamati, Banderban and Khagrachari) for an understanding of the impact of denudation and land use on soils in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh. There were natural forests, bushy land, slashed sites, slashed and burnt sites, and the sites prepared for shifting cultivation, one year after shifting cultivation and two years after shifting cultivation. The soils were generally yellowish brown to reddish brown, sandy to sandy clay loam, strongly acid, and well to excessively drained on steep slopes with considerable variation among the sites and land use categories. Bulk density was the highest in sites of one year after shifting cultivation (1.52 g·cm−3) and the lowest in forested sites (1.38 g·cm−3). Water holding capacities were, however, statistically similar in all sites. Organic carbon varied from 0.54% (slashed and burnt sites) to 1.55% (forested sites) and total N ranged from 0.05% (shifting cultivation for one year) to 0.13% (forested sites). Available phosphorus (Bray & Kurtz-2 P) was the maximum in forested sites (12.32 mg·kg−1), and it did not differ significantly in other sites. Contents of available Ca, Mg and K were also higher in the bushy lands and forested sites than cleared and shifting cultivated sites.

Water quality of Kaptai reservoir in Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh

A study was conducted in Kaptai reservoir, one of the largest man-made freshwater lakes of South-east Asia, to determine present status of water quality and its suitability for fishing and other uses. Water samplings were from middle part of the reservoir at 0.2 and 0.8 fractional depths at five different locations from upstream to downstream viz. Burburichara, Maichchari, Subolong, Basanthakum, and Rangamati. Water analyses show that concentrations of NO3-N, K+ and total P, and suspended solid at all the sampling stations were beyond the recommended values for fish culture. Concentrations of Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, SO42−, Cl−, total dissolved solid (TDS), dissolved oxygen (DO) and chemical oxygen demand (COD) were within the standards for aquaculture. Concentrations of NO3-N, SO42−, K+ and total P showed no definite trend with depths, locations as well as rainy and dry seasons. Water pH, conductivity, Na+ and HCO3− contents were lower in rainy season, and DO and COD higher at almost all the locations in both the depths, compared with dry season. Total solids and concentrations of TDS, DO, COD, Ca2+, Mg2+ and Na+ were higher in upstream and decreased gradually towards downstream in the reservoir. Concentrations of DO and Ca2+ and pH were higher and Mg2+ less at 0.2-fractional depth than those at 0.8-fractional depth at almost all the locations. The reservoir is in mesotrophic condition containing high concentration of NO3-N and total P, in alarming status with the presence of excessive suspended solids from urban pollution around the town. It is necessary to adopt measures for protecting water quality in the reservoir due to such deteriorations.

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.

Comparative study of some soil properties in forested and deforested areas in Cox’s Bazar and Rangamati Districts, Bangladesh

The study dealt with the assessment of impact of deforestation on soil through a comparative analysis of soil physicochemical properties of natural forest and deforested areas. Soil samples from three depths (top, middle and bottom) under natural forest and nearby deforested areas were collected to investigate soil properties. Forest soils show no significant change in particle size distribution. Bulk density of forested soils shows the significant differences in top and middle layers. Soil pH in top and middle soil, organic matter in top soil and available phosphorus in middle soil of the forest site are found to be significantly higher than that of the deforested soils. Forest soils also have significantly higher level of exchangeable Ca2+, K+ in top and middle soil and Mg2+ at all depth than those of deforested site. Exchangeable Na+ and cation exchange capacity (CEC) are observed unchanged in both sites. The results suggest that change in soil properties was more obvious in surface and sub surface portions of both areas. The study shows that deterioration of physicochemical properties occurred due to deforestation.

Shifting cultivation effects on soil fungi and bacterial population in Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh.

A study was conducted at two pair sites of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh to find out the effects of shifting cultivation on soil fungi and bacterial population. The first pair of sites with shifting cultivation and village common forest-managed by indigenous community was at Madhya Para in Rangamati district and the second pair of sites with the shifting cultivated land and village common forest at Ampu Para in Bandarban district of Chittagong Hill Tracts. At both the locations with two different land uses, soil textures in surface (0–10 cm) and subsurface (10–20 cm) soils varied from sandy loam to sandy clay loam. Soil pH and moisture content were lower in shifting cultivated land compared to village common forest. The results also showed that both fungal and bacterial population in surface and subsurface soils was significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower, in most cases, in shifting cultivated land compared to village common forest at both Madhya Para and Ampu Para. At Rangamati and Bandarban in shifting cultivated lands, Colletrotrichum and Fusarium fungi were absent and all the bacterial genus viz. Coccus, Bacillus and Streptococcus common in two different locations with different land uses. Common identified fungi at both the land uses and locations were Aspergillus, Rhizopus, Trichoderma and Penicillium. Further study can be done on the other soil biota to understand the extent of environmental deterioration due to shifting cultivation.

Deforestation effects on biological and other important soil properties in an upland watershed of Bangladesh

Deforestation occurs at an alarming rate in upland watersheds of Bangladesh and has many detrimental effects on the environment. This study reports the effects of deforestation on soil biological properties along with some important physicochemical parameters of a southern upland watershed in Bangladesh. Soils were sampled at 4 paired sites, each pair representing a deforested site and a forested site, and having similar topographical characteristics. Significantly fewer (p≤0.001) fungi and bacteria, and lower microbial respiration, active microbial biomass, metabolic and microbial quotients were found in soils of the deforested sites. Soil physical properties such as moisture content, water holding capacity, and chemical properties such as organic matter, total N, available P and EC were also lower in deforested soils. Bulk density and pH were significantly higher in deforested soils. Available Ca and Mg were inconsistent between the two land uses at all the paired sites. Reduced abundance and biomass of soil mesofauna were recorded in deforested soils. However, soil anecic species were more abundant in deforested soils than epigeic and endogeic species, which were more abundant in forested soils than on deforested sites.

Soil chemical properties under modern and traditional farming systems at Khagrachari, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh

Land degradation in Chittagong hill tracts has been taking place due to shrinkage of forest cover, policy weakness, population explosion, and inappropriate hill farming system. Modern farming system in the Chittagong hill tracts like Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) is practiced to provide a new strategy for developing lands for economic productivity and bio-diversity conservation through establishment of ecological community rather than traditional shifting cultivation which is no longer sustainable according to the carrying capacity of ecosystem of Chittagong hill tracts. This study is to find out changing trends of soil chemical properties of sites under modern and traditional farming systems at Khagrachari district of Chittagong hill tracts. The result of the research shows that Sloping Agricultural Land Technology has significantly higher capacity of production due to the presence of the highest percentage of organic carbon, organic matter, compared with shifting cultivated site. The study recommends that shifting cultivation may be changed into a relatively stable semi-permanent farming system through developing participatory integrated farming systems to establish stable production environment in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Organic matter accumulation in hill forests of Chittagong region, Bangladesh

Litter fall and its effect on forest soil properties at each decomposition stages were investigated in tropical monsoon climatic conditions of three plantations (7-year acacia plantation, 15-year acacia plantation and 18-year mixed plantation) and one natural forest (Sitapahar forest) from Chittagong hilly region of Bangladesh. Results showed that total accumulation of organic matter increased with plantation age, accompanying with a decrease of annual accumulation rate. Within the same vegetation type, the organic accumulation of both fresh and partially decomposed litter with humus varied significantly (p≤0.05) on hill positions, being highest on bottom slope and decreased gradually towards hilltop in the forest. Reverse trend in accumulation of soil organic matters was shown in 15-year Acacia auriculiformis plantation, from where fuel wood collected. In 7- and 15-year acacia and 18-year mixed broadleaved plantations, rates of total organic matter production consisting of fresh, partially and completely decomposed litter as well as incorporated organic matter in soil were 2554.31, 705.79 and 1028.01 kg·ha−1·a−1, respectively, and the corresponding contribution from fresh litter were 38.23, 19.40 and 30.48 kg·ha−1·a−1, respectively. In the three plantations and the natural forest, on an average fresh litter constituted 32.45%, partially decomposed litter with humus 13.50% and incorporated organic matter in soil 54.56% of the total organic matter production with mean litter thickness of 0.90 cm. Soil acidity increased with the increase of decomposition stage of organic matter.