Status of coastal plantations and its impact on land stabilization, soil PH and salinity at Nolchira range of Hatiya Island, Bangladesh.

Abstract

The study was conducted to explore the status of coastal plantations, land accretion, erosion and stabilization at Nolchira Range of Hatiya Upa-zila of Noakhali district, Bangladesh. Among four beats of Nolchira coastal Range, Ochkhali and Dalchar beats were selected. Sample plots of 20m×20m (400m 2 ) were taken randomly for mangrove plantation. For highway, embankment and feeder road plantations, 50m long strips were selected for the vegetation sampling. In Nolchira forest range of Hatiya Island about 14370.73 ha of newly accreted land was planted by Sonneratia apetala of which 12450.62 ha was stabilized during the period of 1967 to 2007 under Coastal Afforestation Project (CAP), Mangrove Afforestation Project (MAP), 2 nd Forestry Project, Forest Resource Management Project (FRMP) and Revenue projects in Nolchira range. The rest 1920.11 ha was eroded by river and wave action. 27 years old Sonneratia apetala attained 21 cm dbh and 16.5 m height growth in Ochkhali beat, whereas 27 years old Sonneratia apetala attained 24.5 cm dbh and 18.5 m height growth in Dalchar beat. Whereas, 27 years old Albizia saman attained 54 cm dbh in Ochkhali highway plantations, 40 cm in 14 years old embankment and 16.4 cm in 12 years old feeder road plantations respectively. Similarly, Acacia auriculiformis attained the dbh of 37 cm, 19.6 cm and 10.5 cm respectively for the same site. Whereas, Casuarina equisetifolia attained the dbh of 17 cm, 13.5 cm and 12.5 cm respectively in the same site. The soil P H and salinity showed lower in old coastal plantation in comparisons in comparison to uri-grass land and newly accreted char lands. Among 12450.62 ha of stabilized coastal lands, 795 ha mature forest land was already converted into agricultural land. The stabilized coastal plantations protected the coastal environment of Hatiya Island from the severe loss and damage of coastal lives and properties due to the catastrophic effect of super cyclone SIDR in November 2007.