Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary Research Articles

Temporal comparison of land-use changes and biodiversity in differential IUCN protected-area categories of Bangladesh in the context of co-management

ABSTRACT Protected areas (PA) have been considered as biodiversity conservation hub across the globe. The conventional “top-down” management approach has been failed to ensure resource sustainability in many PA. Therefore, co-management was introduced to secure the PA of Bangladesh and started with legal framework in 2008 (IPAC Project) until 2018 (CREL Project). Thus, land-use and biodiversity change analysis from a decade before and after 2008 has generated comparison of previous and after scenario of co-management. Hence for evaluating effects of co-management on temporal biodiversity and land-use change in Bangladesh, two PA, Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) under IUCN Protected Area Category IV and Lawachara National Park (LNP) under IUCN Protected Area Category II, were selected. Community structure of both vascular plants and avifauna species was used to determine current biodiversity variations with habitat influence. Land-use change analysis revealed deforestation and settlements expansion in CWS but decrease in LNP. Trend analysis forecasted good future of LNP in terms of forest cover till 2038. Biodiversity analysis revealed that CWS is slightly more diverse and even than LNP. Comparative analysis recognized prominent loss of biodiversity before co-management period. Therefore, co-management system can be employed in the rest of reserve-forest areas of Bangladesh for conservation betterment.

Medicinal plant sources and traditional healthcare practices of forest-dependent communities in and around Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary in southeastern Bangladesh.

Bangladesh’s forest-dependent people rely on medicinal plants for traditional healthcare practices, as plant-based medicines are easily available and cost-effective. This study evaluated and documented ethnomedicinal practices for, and traditional knowledge of, utilising plants to cure ailments. Ethnobotanical indices quantified the use value (UV), frequency of citation, relative frequency of citation (RFC) and the informant consensus factor. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, the study interviewed 231 respondents from 18 villages in and around Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS). The study documented 134 medicinal plant species from 60 families; tree species were dominant (37.31%). Malvaceae (seven species), Rutaceae and Lamiaceae (six species each) families covered more species. Nearly half of the species (46.02%) were collected from CWS. Both above-ground and below-ground plant parts treated 71 types of ailments under 21 categories, with leaves (66 species) being the most widely used plant part. In total 33 species were used to treat dysentery, 25 species each for fever and jaundice, and 24 species for cuts and wounds. The average UV value was 0.24 and RFC value was 0.47%. Communities were found to utilise medicinal plants more at home than to sell at markets, substantially relying on medicinal plants to meet their domestic needs. Plants used for healthcare and cultural and religious beliefs have a strong connection that plays a vital role in plant conservation. This study identified 42 medicinal plant species that could be considered to treat COVID-19 patients in Bangladesh. The findings suggest that community awareness of sustainable harvesting and commercial cultivation could lead to conservation and use of these invaluable plant species for healthcare, new drugs discovery and sustainable forest management.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42398-022-00230-z.

Ecological restoration through natural regeneration in Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary – a protected area of South-East Bangladesh

PurposeIn this paper, the authors show that ecological restoration potential through natural regeneration of degraded tropical rainforest is possible. This is significant because at present most of the tropical forest of the world, including of Bangladesh, are degraded.Design/methodology/approachRegeneration status of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) was assessed through stratified random sampling method using sample plots of 5 × 5 m in size covering 269 sample plots.FindingsA total of 3,256 regenerating seedlings/saplings of 105 species belonging to 35 families were recorded from CWS. From regenerating tree species, maximum (37.83) family importance value (FIV) index was found for Euphorbiaceae followed by Myrtaceae (18.03). Maximum importance value index (IVI) was found for Aporosa wallichii (21.62) followed by Grewia nervosa (16.41). Distribution of seedlings into different height classes of regenerating tree species was also calculated.Practical implicationsForest scientists are working to find out the best nature-based solution for ecological restoration of tropical rainforests to attain climate resilient ecosystem in a sustainable way. Tropical rain forest has huge plant diversity, and we find that ecological restoration is possible through natural regeneration from its rich soil seed bank. Natural regeneration is the best nature-based solution for sustainable management of the forest.Social implicationsThe authors believe that the findings presented in our paper will appeal to the forest and environmental scientists. The findings will allow readers to understand degraded tropical hill forest ecosystem and its management strategy.Originality/value The authors believe that this manuscript will give a clear picture about degraded tropical hill forest ecosystem and its genetic composition, diversity and soil seed bank status to apply appropriate management strategy.

Local Level Forest Governance and Conservation Outcomes in a Co-managed Protected Area of Bangladesh

ABSTRACT Co-management of forest protected areas (PA) is considered as a viable option to improve the local-level forest governance. This study examined the state of local-level forest governance in Chunati wildlife sanctuary (CWS), a co-managed PA in south-eastern Bangladesh. Data on eight key principles of governance and forest conservation outcomes were collected by interviewing randomly selected non-state actors (n = 39) and state actors (n = 10) and four focus group discussions with the forest-dependent communities. We conducted a t-test to compare respondents’ perceptions regarding key governance principles and conservation outcomes. Results revealed that co-management governance in CWS assisted to improve the quality of forests in terms of tree and wildlife diversity, while illicit felling and land encroachment had reduced. Respondents’ overall perception on key governance principles showed a moderate-to-high score (mean 3.33 out of 5.00). Regarding forest conservation outcomes, the score was also moderate to high (mean 3.72 out of 5.00). Non-state actors showed fairly higher perception on overall key governance principles and conservation outcomes, while state actors (non-forestry officials) reported lower scores. Findings of this study would be useful to reshape the co-management policies that ensure good governance at local-level management of PA in Bangladesh and elsewhere.

Forest cover and land use map of the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary based on participatory mapping and satellite images: Insight into Chunati beat

In developing countries like Bangladesh, rapid changes in forest area occurred due to illegal encroachment and it can be reduced with the help of local communities. Researchers have always considered urban expansion as a cause of deforestation, and that is not an exception for the Chunati beat forest. About 50 % of primary (natural) forests have been logged during last 20 years in the reserve. That’s why it becomes essential to assess forest cover to monitor and reduce forest degradation. This paper exhibits a research of forest cover and land use of the hilly area of the Chunati forest cover, Bangladesh by integrating participatory mapping, Geographic Information System (GIS) and remote sensing. The forest cover and land use map were produced by using a participatory mapping approach, where the several complex spatial features are marked and monitored with the help of spatial knowledge of local community and satellite images. The study also demonstrates the degradation of the Chunati forest and the conflicts between humans and nature. About 16 % of well stock forest of Chunati beat was degraded by illegal logging and encroachment inside the reserve forest which are the prime factors that need to be restricted. The Forest Department faced difficulties while carrying out restoration, as the forest area was not demarcated. The maps produced during this research estimate the total area encroached by anthropogenic activities. These maps can help policy makers to monitor the Chunati forest cover which will further help to implement land use policy and forest conservation.

PARK-PEOPLE CONFLICT IN BANGLADESH: A CASE STUDY FROM CHUNATI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY AND DUDHPUKURIA-DHOPACHORI WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

Conflict between people and wildlife is a foremost issue for conservation which is hard to solve when the wants of people collide in a straight line with the needs of endangered species like wild elephant. This study was carried out in the adjoining villages of two protected areas (PAs) of Chittagong region namely Dudupukuria-Dhopachori Wildlife Sanctuary (DDWS) and Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) to identify the attitude of the villagers to the PAs by measuring different received benefits and faced problems from those reserves, the interaction between human and wild elephants and the opinions of the villagers to the effectiveness of community based wildlife management. The data were collected through a quantitative household survey which includes a series of close ended, fixed response and simple questions. Crop depredation was identified as a major problem to the villagers and they received small amount of benefits for the conservation program through protected area which create negative attitude among them to the PAs. Though most of the people were willing to participate in community based conservation program, they didnot think that such kind of approach is effective to protect biodiversity in the PAs. The present study makes the recommendation to build positive attitude to the PAs, to minimize the conflict, helps in future planning programs and further research of this field.

Effectiveness of protected areas in reducing deforestation and forest fragmentation in Bangladesh

The establishment of protected areas has been considered a tool to battle deforestation in densely populated countries like Bangladesh. Since 2000, Bangladesh's Forest Department has declared about 41 protected areas. However, before more land is designated as a protected area, it is important to know how effective existing protected areas are in achieving conservation goals. Unfortunately, the determination of the conservation effectiveness of protected areas, such as their capacity to reduce deforestation and forest fragmentation over a considerable period at high temporal frequency (e.g., yearly), is still unavailable despite some known methods being available, for example, the System for the Integrated Assessment of Protected Areas. In this study, we processed and analyzed the Hansen dataset from 2000 to 2018 to produce yearly forest/non-forest maps of four protected areas in Bangladesh and used these maps, with a matching method, to estimate the effectiveness of protected area in reducing deforestation after controlling for potential hidden bias. We also analyzed the forest fragmentation scenario over the same time frame. The forest cover change results from 2010 to 2018 revealed a large-scale deforestation pattern in areas adjacent to the protected area boundary of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) and Baroiyadhala National Park–Hazarikhil Wildlife Sanctuary (together B-HWS). Using a propensity score matching (PSM) approach with a caliper of 0.25, we found that B-HWS was the best performing of the studied protected areas, and that 37% of forest pixels in B-HWS would have been deforested in 2018 if they had not been brought under protection in 2010. Similarly, the estimated avoided deforestation rates were approximately 21% and 4% for CWS and Dudpukuria–Dhopachari Wildlife Sanctuary, respectively. Despite an improvement in deforestation scenarios, during the period 2010–2018, for all protected areas, the forest fragmentation scenarios were exacerbated both inside their boundaries and in adjacent unprotected areas. Therefore, it remains questionable whether protected areas can ultimately maintain the integrity of conservation.

Forest dependency, co-management and improvement of peoples’ livelihood capital: Evidence from Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh

In order to reduce peoples’ dependency on forests, to improve their livelihoods, and to conserve forest resources a number of protected areas (PA) in Bangladesh has been brought under PA co-management. In this study, we examined the dependency of forest dependent communities (FDC) on forests, and the impacts of PA co-management on their livelihood capital drawing data from Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), a pioneer PA of south-eastern Bangladesh. Data on forest dependency was collected through a participatory survey along 28 randomly selected forest trails and remote sensing (RS) analysis of betel leaf plots inside the CWS. To analyze the livelihood capital, we adopted a sustainable livelihood framework and interviewed randomly selected 843 FDC members, and 88 local people who were not involved in PA co-management as control. Remote sensing based vegetation indices were derived to evaluate the trends of vegetation condition in the CWS. Results show that 481 persons were entering into the CWS in a day to collect forest products having an estimated market value of about USD1,856. Even though the extent of cultivation had reduced but local people were still practicing betel leaf farming. The livelihood improvement activities under PA co-management had positive impacts, and livelihood capital indices of the FDC members were significantly higher than that of control group. Similar impact was also reflected in five livelihood capital, and notably the mean monthly household income (financial capital) of FDC members had increased by 53% in five years. The RS based vegetation indices indicate that overall forest condition was gradually improving from 2010 to 2015. In order to endure the livelihood of FDC members and to conserve the forests of CWS sustainably, we recommend further strengthening of human and social capital along with appropriate institutional support.

Modeling land use change using Cellular Automata and Artificial Neural Network: The case of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh

Land use changes generally affect the integrity of an ecosystem. The effect of this change can be very severe if the conversion disrupts a crucial habitat of major plants and animals. The degraded Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary is one such area of Bangladesh which is facing a serious problem of rapid land use change. In this study, the future trend of land use change of the area was modelled using Artificial Neural Network. Several driver variables were also incorporated to determine their effect on land use change. Binary logistic regression was used to assess the significance of the drivers of land use change for this region. The analysis shows that nearly 76% of the total land area (8258 ha) was covered by vegetation during 2005. After 2005, that was reduced to 61% (6637 ha) in 2015, a 15% decline from 2005. On the other hand, the coverage of vacant land increased from nearly 10% in 2005 to 22% in 2015. This is indeed a matter of real concern. The critical analysis suggests that Cellular Automata is not a good fit to simulate the future land uses as it misdirects the analysis both spatially and numerically. The incorporation of driver variables gives strength to the Artificial Neural Network to predict the future. The chi-square value for the prediction of land use of the area found from the neural network was 7.815 which was greater than the critical value (3.316). The neural network was found to be a good fit for future land use prediction. The kappa index of variation shows that the overall accuracy of the prediction using neural network was above 90%. Elevation, slope, and distance to the road were the three driver variables which were found statistically significant while predicting the probability of forest land use change. The accuracy of the binary logistic regression was about 61% which was quite satisfactory. The simulation result shows that almost 5732 ha of the total land will be in the forest category of land use during 2020 and it will be further decreased to 5128 ha in 2025. The vacant area will increase from 24% to 31% from 2020 to 2025. Based on the findings and simulated land use map of 2020–2025, the study will help the management authority of this critical habitat to take proper action before further degradation occurs.

Restoration of degraded forest ecosystem through non-forestry livelihood supports: experience from the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary in Bangladesh

ABSTRACTLack of non-forestry income sources for the forest-dependent community was one of the major causes of continued biodiversity loss in Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS). A livelihood support program was implemented from July 2012 through June 2015 to reduce people's forest-dependence for their livelihoods. We evaluated the efficacy of this program in enhancing the biodiversity health of CWS. An Ordinary Least Square regression framework was used to estimate the difference in difference of the income between the control and the treatment households. Alongside, the biodiversity attributes of the CWS were measured in 2012 and 2015 and were compared. The intervention increased a treatment household's monthly non-forestry income by BDT11,781 and decreased its monthly forest income by BDT2128. In contrast, with increased natural regeneration of 8.43%, 12 out of the 16 major species at CWS showed increased importance value index (IVI). The IVI increased by 48.03% for Acacia auriculiformis and decreased by 56.30% and 31.76% for Dipterocarpus turbinatus and Tectona grandis, respectively. As confirmed by the households, this biodiversity improvement could be attributed to the livelihood intervention program at CWS. Continued monitoring is important to sustain the successes of the program.

Developing alternative income generation activities reduces forest dependency of the poor and enhances their livelihoods: the case of the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh

Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) has undergone a number of biodiversity restoration programs in the last three decades. Yet, its biodiversity degradation could not be fully checked due to people’s tremendous forest-dependency for their livelihoods. A livelihood support program was implemented from January 2012 to June 2015 aiming to reduce households’ forest-dependency through the development of Alternative Income Generating Activities (AIGAs). The treatment households were classed into regular and model households. While both regular and model households got financial and technical supports to start AIGAs, model households also got integrated production and monitoring supports. There was a control group with similar socioeconomic conditions without any project support. The Difference in Difference method was employed to assess the effectiveness of this program. The net monthly income from AIGA sources increased by BDT 2816 and BDT 1932 for regular and model households, respectively. In other non-forestry sources, these figures were BDT 8965 and BDT 8074, respectively. On the contrary, monthly fuelwood collection decreased by 227 kg for a regular household and 251 kg for a model household. We conclude that the livelihood program has significantly increased households’ total income through non-forestry sources while reducing their dependency on forest resources.

Land use classification and change detection by using multi-temporal remotely sensed imagery: The case of Chunati wildlife sanctuary, Bangladesh

The degraded Chunati wildlife sanctuary (CWS) has undergone various land use changes since 1980s. In this study, land use changes of CWS were assessed from 2005 to 2015 by using Landsat TM and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS images. The ArcGIS v10.1 and ERDAS Imagine v14 were used to process satellite imageries and assessed quantitative data for land use change assessment of this study area. Maximum likelihood classification algorithm was used in order to derive supervised land use classification. It was found that about 256ha of degraded forest area had been increased within 10years (2005–2015) and the annual rate of change was 25.56%. Another 159ha of naturally forested land had been changed to other land uses having an (−) annual rate of change of 15.88%. The overall supervised classification accuracy was found 92.16% for 2015, 86.15% for 2010, and 83.96% for 2005 with Kappa values of 0.89, 0.82, and 0.81 for 2015, 2010, and 2005, respectively and these were fairly satisfactory. The results of this study would be helpful to plan and implement important management decisions in order to conserve the rich biodiversity of Chunati wildlife sanctuary.

Phytosociological characteristics and diversity of trees in a comanaged protected area of Bangladesh: Implications for conservation

ABSTRACTThe Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), a degraded protected area in southeastern Bangladesh, had been under comanagement since 2004. This study examined phytosociological characteristics and diversity of trees in CWS and discussed villagers’ opinions on the impact of comanagement on forest conservation. Following a stratified and systematic sampling 140 circular plots, 17.84-m radius each, were laid out in seven forest beats for the assessment of phytosociological characteristics and tree diversity. Several key-informant interviews and 15 focus group discussions were held to explore the impact of comanagement on forest conservation and on villagers’ livelihood. A total of 93 tree species were identified having a diameter at breast height (dbh) of ≥ 5 cm in 36 plant families. The dominant species were Acacia auriculiformis, Dipterocarpus turbinatus, Ficus hispida, and Tectona grandis. The average density of trees was 239 trees/ha of which 60% was composed of planted exotic species. Nearly 90% trees were belonging to 5- to 15-cm dbh class and the Shannon-Wiener index was 3.15. The comanagement governance had brought positive changes in forest conservation. However, to sustain the engagement of poor villagers in the comanagement and conservation of degraded CWS, more collective efforts are needed to support their living.

Quantitative Assessment of Land Cover Change Using Landsat Time Series Data: Case of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), Bangladesh

Due to inappropriate management and absence of land use planning, land cover change of developing country like Bangladesh is a common phenomenon. This land cover change phenomenon will have its tremendous effect if found at a greater extent on natural habitat area for numerous animal and tree species. In this study, land cover change of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) was assessed from (2005-2015) using Landsat TM (Thematic Mapper) and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS (Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor). ArcGIS v10.1 and ERDAS Imagine v14 were used to process satellite derived imageries and assess other quantitative data for land cover change assessment of this study area. Land cover change of the area was identified using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) technique. Highest NDVI value was found in 2005 (0.71) which denotes presence of moderate-high vegetation cover at that time period. After 2005, highest NDVI value was found following a decreasing trend (0.56 in 2010 and 0.4 in 2015) which clearly represents the rapid vegetation cover change in the study area. Almost 7608 hectares of moderate to high density natural forest cover dominated the area during 2005 but was totally absent in 2015 which may be considered as a great threat regarding proper ecosystem functioning of CWS. From the findings of this research, it can be easily concluded that the sanctuary area has lost its valuable land cover both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Quantitative Assessment of Land Cover Change Using Landsat Time Series Data: Case of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS), Bangladesh

Due to inappropriate management and absence of land use planning, land cover change of developing country like Bangladesh is a common phenomenon. This land cover change phenomenon will have its tremendous effect if found at a greater extent on natural habitat area for numerous animal and tree species. In this study, land cover change of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) was assessed from (2005-2015) using Landsat TM (Thematic Mapper) and Landsat 8 OLI/TIRS (Operational Land Imager/Thermal Infrared Sensor). ArcGIS v10.1 and ERDAS Imagine v14 were used to process satellite derived imageries and assess other quantitative data for land cover change assessment of this study area. Land cover change of the area was identified using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) technique. Highest NDVI value was found in 2005 (0.71) which denotes presence of moderate-high vegetation cover at that time period. After 2005, highest NDVI value was found following a decreasing trend (0.56 in 2010 and 0.4 in 2015) which clearly represents the rapid vegetation cover change in the study area. Almost 7608 hectares of moderate to high density natural forest cover dominated the area during 2005 but was totally absent in 2015 which may be considered as a great threat regarding proper ecosystem functioning of CWS. From the findings of this research, it can be easily concluded that the sanctuary area has lost its valuable land cover both qualitatively and quantitatively.

Performance evaluation of forest co-management: a case study of Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh

The objective was to evaluate the performance of the co-management of Nishorgo Support Project at Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary in Bangladesh. I adopted the Focus Groups Discussion method for opinion survey and applied the SWOT-AHP technique for data analysis. Local people did not participate in the decision-making process of forest management and they perceived co-management as a threat to their livelihoods. Moreover, mistrust and misunderstanding among different stakeholders, political and ethical conflicts, lack of property rights of tribal communities, and lack of accountability and transparency were identified as the drawbacks of co-management.

Identify Appropriate Conservation Strategies for Rural People in Bangladesh

1 * Abstract This study analyzes biodiversity, related socio-economic effects and the perception of rural people about conservation strategies at three conservation areas (Chunati wildlife sanctuary, Sitakunda eco-park, Dulahazara safari park) in Bangladesh. 75 sample plots were used to collect data on mature tree species and regeneration. By means of questionnaires the demands and perceptions of rural people living close to the conservation areas have been observed. In total 46 tree families have been identified with 159 varieties of tree species in all three study areas. Chunati wildlife sanctuary had the highest mean basal area with 53.9 m2/ha, and species diversity was highest in Sitakunda eco-park with a diversity index of 5.84. Although small scale farming was the main income source for all people in the past, the implemented in‑situ conservation strategies increased employment opportunities and turnover/ capita. 61% of all respondents were strongly satisfied about the socio-economic effects caused by the conservation strategies. The survey shows, that there exist different perceptions of the effects (e.g. infrastructure, education, employment opportunities, land prices) and the level of awareness of conservation activities in the study areas. The most relevant improvements following the in situ conservation strategies are depending on the different socio-economic conditions in the study area. While in Chunati wildlife sanctuary the tree planting programs have increased for the majority of all respondents (84%), in Dulahazara safari park the increased literacy was a key factor for 80% and in Sitakunda eco park land the increased quality of the infrastructure for 84%. In contrast the intensity of illegal cutting and thinning for serving daily needs of the rural people and the disturbances caused by tourism challenge conservation management. The results indicate that a combined increase of both socio-economic conditions and participation of rural people in formulating conservation objectives can have positive effects on the development of appropriate conservation strategies. A collaborative management approach is proposed to achieve a high level of satisfaction among rural people while maintaining biodiversity on the long run.

The confirmed record of Oligodon albocinctus (Cantor, 1839) from Bangladesh

Oligodon albocinctus (Cantor, 1839) has been recorded in Assam, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh of India, Nepal, Myanmar and China. Khan (1982, 2010) included this species as common and found in the north and east of Bangladesh. However Sarker & Sarker (1985, 1988) did not include this species in their checklists of the snakes of Bangladesh. The IUCN local red list (2003) included this species as data deficient. Khan (2008) stated that this species was expected to be found in Bangladesh. Kabir et al. (2009) included this species in the Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh based on IUCN Bangladesh (2003). However none of the previous reports were based on a specimen or photographic evidence, hence this is the first confirmed record of Oligodon albocinctus from Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Bangladesh, with a specimen and photographs.

Human attitudes towards the conservation of protected areas: a case study from four protected areas in Bangladesh

AbstractThis study was based on interviews with 388 randomly selected households living near four protected areas in northern and south-eastern Bangladesh: Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary, Teknaf Game Reserve and two forest reserves. The respondents were generally poor and their perception of conservation varied across the study areas. Respondents were generally reluctant to embrace conservation and their attitude towards the conservation of protected areas depended on a set of demographic and socio-economic factors. People in northern Bangladesh had somewhat more positive attitudes towards conservation than those in the south-east. The two most important variables explaining respondents’ attitudes towards conservation were the distance they lived from protected areas and their monthly income. People who are poor and who live closer to the protected areas disliked the conservation measures most.