Mangifera sylvatica Roxb. in the Forests of South-Eastern Bangladesh: A Potential Underutilised Tree for Small-Scale Forestry

Abstract

Mangifera sylvatica Roxb. is an underutilized wild tree species valued for its fruit, timber and medicine. It was believed to be widely grown in sub-tropical forests of Bangladesh, but nowadays can be seen only sparsely. Even though it has multiple uses, only the indigenous people in hilly areas use the fruit of this species, for cooking and making pickles. This study was designed to (1) observe the population status of M. sylvatica in the forests of south-eastern Bangladesh, (2) evaluate domestication potentiality through seed germination and early growth of seedlings, and (3) assess its suitability for small-scale forestry. Through 16 field visits in eight forest beats, 66 individual trees were identified and their GPS (global positioning system) coordinates were recorded. A seed germination rate of 83 % at 6 weeks after direct sowing was attained. The early growth of seedlings with fertilizer treatments showed no remarkable difference with seedlings without fertilization. The seed germination rate and early growth of seedlings indicates that this species can be easily domesticated and be incorporated into small-scale plantation programs. In that it has multiple use values, this species warrants promotion in small-scale forestry programs for conservation and benefiting the villagers.