Abstract
This study represents comprehensive taxonomic information on current floristic composition in the semi-natural campus area of Jahangirnagar University. This study reveals that this campus area harbours a total of 917 species belonging to 574 genera and 145 families of vascular plants. 70.34% of these species are wild and the rest are cultivated/planted. 63.79% of the species are native and 36.21% are exotic to Bangladesh. Pteridophytes and Gymnosperms are represented by 22 and 12 species, respectively, whereas, Angiosperms by 883 species. Magnoliopsida (dicotyledons) and Liliopsida (monocotyledons) are composed of 618 and 265 species, respectively. The family Poaceae with 89 species is the largest, which is followed by Fabaceae with 44 species and Asteraceae with 40 species. Most of the species are herbs (56.16%) and growing in diverse habitats. All species are economically or ecologically important, but mostly as medicinal, ornamental, fodder and forage, fruit, vegetable, timber and fuel wood. The study area houses 15 plant species, previously listed as threatened to Bangladesh. Thus, the study area is floristically rich in respect to its number of plant species belonging to different groups and its size. This area might serve as a campus-based excellent center of biodiversity conservation by strengthening the existing management and adopting necessary policies and strategies.
 Bangladesh J. Plant Taxon. 28(1): 27-60, 2021 (June)
Highlights
Urbanization is one of the main drivers of ecological, environmental and socio-economical change worldwide (Freitas et al, 2020)
Monthly average temperature varies from 30°-41°C, 29°-32°C and 19°-25°C, rainfall ranges from 12.1-154.2 mm, 106.42-350.8 mm and 0-19.5 mm and humidity differs from 42-82%, 7498% and 38-67% in summer, rainy and winter seasons, respectively according to the records of last one decade
The trend of monthly total rainfall in this area is decreasing in all seasons, whereas that of monthly mean temperature is increasing in summer but slightly decreasing in rainy and winter seasons conforming to the records of last three decades
Summary
Urbanization is one of the main drivers of ecological, environmental and socio-economical change worldwide (Freitas et al, 2020). During this study the campus area of Jahangirnagar University (JU) has been found to harbour a total of 917 species belonging to 574 genera and 145 families of vascular plants. Many of the exotic species (Acacia auriculiformis, Ageratum conyzoides, Azolla pinnata, Chromolaena odorata, Eclipta prostrata, Eichhornia crassipes, Euphorbia hirta, Evolvulus nummularius, Hyptis suaveolens, Imperata cylindrica, Lantana camara, Mikania cordata, Mimosa pudica, Oxalis corniculata, Parthenium hysterophorus, Phyllanthus niruri, Salvinia adnata, Sphagneticola trilobata, Swietenia mahagoni, Tridax procumbens) are completely naturalized in this area. About 34 exotic and 24 native species have been introduced in the study area from other regions (Table 1). It is concluded that a small seminatural area of a semi-urban region like this campus can be rich and diverse in plant species composition if it is maintained properly.
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