Effect of exotic tree plantation on floristic composition and phytodiversity of Rema-Kalenga wildlife sanctuary, Bangladesh

Gazi Mosharof Hossain,Abm Enayet Hossain

doi:10.3329/jujbs.v3i2.28284

Gazi Mosharof Hossain, Abm Enayet Hossain

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3329/jujbs.v3i2.28284

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Abstract

Effect of exotic tree plantation on floristic composition and phytodiversity status of Rema-Kalenga wildlife sanctuary of Bangladesh was studied. A total of 309 vascular plant species under 245 genera belonging to 83 families were found to constitute the vascular flora of the studied area. The maximum number of species (298) with the highest Shannon-Weiner diversity index value (3.882±0.090) was recorded from natural forest, which was followed by 194 and 165 plant species with 3.441±0.205 and 3.398±0.103 diversity index values recorded from Tectona and Acacia plantation sites respectively. The minimum number of plant species (142) with the lowest diversity index value (2.999±0.152) was recorded from Eucalyptus plantation site. The collected data on the selected forest sites of Rema-Kalenga wildlife sanctuary showed the trends of gradual decrease in floristic composition and phytodivesity status of three plantation sites (Tectona to Acacia to Eucalyptus) in respect to natural forest, which indicated that exotic tree plantations might have negative impact on floristic composition and phytodiversity of this semi-tropical forest area and the fast-growing exotic tree plantation of Acacia and Eucalyptus should be avoided for sustainable development of Rema-Kalenga wildlife sanctuary.Jahangirnagar University J. Biol. Sci. 3(2): 33-47, 2014 (December)

Highlights

The global extent of plantation forests in 1990 is estimated to be around 135 million ha (FAO, 1993; Gauthier, 1991; Pandy, 1995)
About 75% of these plantation forests are in temperate regions and about 25% in the tropics and subtropics; some 5% are found in Africa, a little more than 10% in each of the American continents, some 20% in the former USSR and around 25% in each of Asia-Pacific and Europe (Gauthier, 1991; Kanowski & Savill, 1992)
The collected data on the floristic composition and Shannon-Wiener diversity index of the undergrowth plant species of selected forest sites of Rema-Kalenga wildlife sanctuary have been presented in Tables 1 to 2 and Figs. 2 to 5

Summary

Introduction

The global extent of plantation forests in 1990 is estimated to be around 135 million ha (FAO, 1993; Gauthier, 1991; Pandy, 1995). As a consequence they planted some fastgrowing exotic tree species like Acacia and Eucalyptus in some areas of the sanctuary. Benth.) and eucalyptus (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Hook.) plantation forests sites during winter, summer and monsoon seasons from 2003 to 2005.

Results

Conclusion