Conversion of dipterocarp-dominant natural forests to short rotation plantations- an unrecoverable threat to the native dipterocarps in Bangladesh

M. K. Hossain

Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences

Chittagong University, Chittagong – 4331 Bangladesh

E-mail: hossainmk2001@yahoo.com

Abstract

Inland moist deciduous sal and wet-evergreen hill forests in Bangladesh were dominated by the Dipterocarp species of Anisoptera scaphula, Hopea odorata, Dipterocarpus alatus, D. costatus, D. gracilis, D. turbinatus and Shorea robusta. Deforestation and forest fragmentation accelerates the loss of native forest biodiversity, particularly the dipterocarp species at an alarming rate in Bangladesh. A deliberate biasness of planting fast growing exotics in dipterocarp-dominant forest ecosystems is also responsible for the disappearing of native Dipterocarp species in Bangladesh. Sal (Shores robusta) forest of the country is severely degraded and are being converted for other land uses and plantations of some exotic fast growing species of Eucalyptus camaldulensis and Acacia auriculiformis resulting in the loss of the sal forests of the country. Slash and burn along with the encroachment and deforestation of the hill forests is detrimental to the conservation of the remaining dipterocarp forests. This paper describes the distribution, status and threats to the dipterocarps in Bangladesh and give emphasis for an urgent need of arresting the further degradation of the remnant dipterocarp forests of the country. Appropriate strategies and action plans are the immediate needs to conserve, regenerate, protect and sustainable management of the last dipterocarp forests in Bangladesh.

Keywords:Dipterocarps, Deforestation, Plantation forest, Biodiversity, Short rotation species

Introduction

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries of the world with a population of 133.4 million and the density is about 904 per square kilometer and population growth is the most serious problem of the country (Anon 2003). The country lies in between 20^o34^‘N and 26^o33^‘N, and between 88^o01^‘E and 92^o41^‘E (Rashid 1977). The majority of land is flat and formed by river alluvium from the Ganges and the Brahmaputra and their tributaries. The eastern and northeastern parts of the country consist of hills alternating with broad valleys (Das 1990). Maximum elevation of the hills is 1 372 m at Tazindong in Chittagong Hill Tracts.

The total area of the country is 14.4 million ha of which 2.46 million ha covered by forests distributed all over the country (Table 1). The natural forests of Bangladesh consist of three major vegetation types occurring on three distinctly different land types (Hassan 1994). The natural hill forests of Bangladesh are characterized by a large diversity of plant species. An estimated 5 700 species of angiosperms alone, including 68 woody legumes, 130 fibre yielding plants, 500 medicinal plants and 29 orchids, are found in the forests of Bangladesh. Some 2260 species are reported from the Chittagong hilly regions, which falls between two major floristic regions of Asia (Anon. 1993).

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