A Preliminary Taxonomic Study on the Flora of Rangpur District, Bangladesh

Saleh Ahammad Khan,Gazi Mosharof Hossain,Rukaiya Habib Fairy,Shayla Sharmin Shetu,Md Shariful Islam,Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed,Md Abdur Rahim

doi:10.3329/bjpt.v28i2.57131

Abstract

This study demonstrates that the vascular flora of the Rangpur district area consists of 825 species under 537 genera and 139 families. The pteridophytes and gymnosperms are represented by 25 and seven species, respectively, whereas the angiosperms by 793 species including 582 species of dicotyledons (Magnoliopsida) and 211 species of monocotyledons (Liliopsida). Poaceae with 67 species, representing 8.12% of the flora, is appeared as the largest family, and followed by Asteraceae, Fabaceae, Araceae, Malvaceae and Euphorbiaceae that collectively constitute 17.94% of this flora. Persicaria comprising 10 species is recorded as the largest genus, and followed by Ficus, Euphorbia, Solanum, Albizia and Brassica. About 59.71% taxa of this flora are herbs, 21.71% trees, 14.72% shrubs and the rest are palms, lianas, and bamboos. Erect herbs forming 35.22% of the flora comprise the most common life-form. In this flora, almost 64.29% taxa are native and the rest 35.71% are exotic. Nearly 62.61% taxa of the flora are found in wild, 26.90% as planted and 10.49% as cultivated. About 35.46% of the species commonly occur throughout all upazilas of this district. Most of the species are harboured in fallow lands, roadsides, gardens, and homesteads. All species of this district flora are known as economically useful. Most of its habitats and ecosystems are exposed to different threats. Adequate measures with effective management plans should be adopted and implemented for the sustainable use, improvement and conservation of this precious flora. Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 28(2): 329-365, 2021 (December)

Highlights

Taxonomic studies provide the foundation for understanding biological diversity
The sustainable use of plant resources and such resource-based development of a country as well as its environmental issues are largely dependent on basic and adequate understandings on the plant species found within its geographical area, i.e., its flora, and such understandings are primarily furnished by taxonomic studies
Though the flora of Bangladesh is inferred as rich (Approx. 5000 species of angiosperms, Khan, 1977) in term of its geographical area (147570 km2, BBS, 2021), it has been incompletely explored through various kinds of sporadic taxonomic inventories conducted so far covering this area partly (Roxburgh, 1814; Hooker, 1872-1897; Prain, 1903; Khan and Huq, 2001; Uddin et al, 2003; Siddiqui et al, 2007; Ahmed et al, 2008-2009; Ahmed et al, 2009; Rahman et al, 2015; Haque et al, 2018; Shetu et al, 2018; Uddin and Hassan, 2018; Khanam and Khan, 2020, Khanam et al, 2020; Roy and Khan, 2020a, 2020b; Hossain et al, 2021; Khan et al, 2021)

Summary

Introduction

Taxonomic studies provide the foundation for understanding biological diversity. Such studies provide essential, crucial and useful data on the identification, composition, origin, distribution, diversity, classification and relationship of the biological organisms. The occurrence of total 294 taxa, i.e., 35.46% of the flora, including 230 species of dicotyledons, 55 species of monocotyledons, seven species of pteridophytes and two species of gymnosperms, was common in all of the eight upazilas of Rangpur district. Plant species composition in the upazilas of Rangpur district According to Jaccard coefficient, the similarity in plant species compositions of eight upazilas of Rangpur district was 64.47% (Fig. 5). A total of 472 plant species, comprising 56.94% of this district flora, are economically useful as medicinal.

Results

Conclusion