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Diversity of Underutilized Fruits and Their Uses in Karnaphuli Range, Rangamati, Bangladesh

Md. Rishad Abdullah
Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Md. Eakramul Haque
Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

AKM Golam Sarwar
Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Md. Ashrafuzzaman
Department of Crop Botany, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Md. Mustafizur Rahman
Plant Conservation and Research Foundation, Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Underutilized fruits were important sources of food for humankind, before the dawn of civilization. These fruits play a vital role in the supplement of nutrition of marginal people. To determine the diversity of underutilized fruits both cultivated and wild, a field survey was conducted from May 2015 to May 2016 using a semi-structured questionnaire in the Karnaphuli range of Kaptai reserve forest, Rangmati, Bangladesh. A total of 40 households (more than 50% population) in two enclaves of the locality were surveyed. Plant species were preserved in herbarium sheet and were brought to the laboratory for identification consulting monograph and Taxonomist. The local inhabitants used a total of thirty one species underutilized fruits from twenty four genera and seventeen families. Of these, eighty percent was grown in wild and only nine percent of fruits were cultivated. Most of the fruits come from Euphorbiaceae (12%) followed by Rutaceae (9%), Moraceae (9%), Myrtaceae (9%), Anacardiaceae (9%), Oxalidaceae (6%), Flacourtiaceae (6%) and Ebenaceae (6%). Considering the conservation status, 9% vulnerable (VU), 3% endangered (EN), 3% not evaluated (NE) and 83% fruits were least concern (LC). Among the species, Diospyros rammiflora of Ebenaceae was endangered (EN), Haematocarpus validus of Menispermaceae, Mangifera sylvatica of Anacardiaceae, Xerospermum laevigatum of Sapindaceae family were vulnerable (VU) and rarely found in wild. These fruits are taken as fruits, vegetables, preparing pickles and also used for ethnomedicinal purposes. Preferences ranking indicates that Tamarindus indica is the common and favorite fruits among the local inhabitants. They also indicate that earliest step should be taken to conserve these threatened species. Such information is essential for the conservation of those underutilized fruits (especially those grown in the wild) to safeguard them for future generations and to avoid their genetic erosion.

Keywords: Underutilized fruits, Diversity, Conservation,

Location: Kalabunia para and Chakua para of Karnaphuli range within the Kaptai Reserve Forest (KRF) area of Kaptai Upazila, Rangmati district, Bangladesh

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Conservation and Biodiversity

Commodity: Fruit

Objectives:

The present study was taken to generate baseline information of underutilized fruits in the Karnaphuli range with their availability in nature and uses by the local inhabitant.

Methodology:

Site description The study was conducted in two villages namely Kalabunia para and Chakua para of Karnaphuli range within the Kaptai Reserve Forest (KRF) area of Kaptai Upazila, Rangmati district, Bangladesh, under Chittagong Hill Tracts South Forest Division. The reserve forest lies between 22026" N to 22038" N Latitude and 92080’ E to 92017’ E longitude which is about 60 km away from Chittagong city (Annon, 1970). Selection of key informants and households For this study, key informants (KI) were defined as knowledgeable persons about underutilized fruits (UFs) and local conditions. After selecting two villages of KR, 12 KI (six from each village) were selected by using a snowball method to collect preliminary data and for questionnaire development following the method of Bernard (2002). Three villagers were randomly asked to call five knowledgeable persons in the village. Then, semi-structured were prepared to interview the KI and household (HH), respectively. A simple stratification of HHs respondents was conducted by age (≤40 and >40) and wealth (poor, medium and rich), which were commonly used in assessing the local knowledge and underutilized fruits selection (Cotton, 1996). Data Collection Questionnaire survey and key informant interview: Semi-structured questionnaires and botanical monographs were prepared, pretested and administered to HHs and KIs, respectively. All interviewees were met on a ‘one-to-one’ basis and asked the same standard (open and closed-ended) questions using the local language (Marma) based on their consent, including expansions or clarifications as needed. Field observation and focused group discussion: Repeated field observations were conducted in the study sites by walking transects where most of the UFs are grown/cultivated. A total of 10 botanical exploration tours were made during 2015?2016. The areas were visited every month and the forest was reached by walking on foot following the existing forest trails. The purpose of the field observation was to obtain actual information of presence, growth habit, habitat characteristics and identification of underutilized fruits species mentioned during the interviews. A focused group discussion of KI was conducted at each study site to verify the data and identification of UFs. Preference ranking: Preference ranking of selected UFs was conducted using taste and availability for each study village to assess the perception of the community. The most preferred underutilized fruits in each study villages were selected by KIs, and ranking (4-most preferred, 3-commonly preferred, 2-preferred but not so common, and 1-occasionally used) was conducted by all respondents, who followed the method of Jain et al. (2011). Similarly, ranking of conservation demand for selected underutilized fruit plants was conducted to assess the conservation status of most preferred species following the method of Jain et al. (2011) (4-for the species whose conservation is highly demanded, 3-conservation urgently demanded, 2-conservation required but not so urgent, and 1-conservation not required at present). Finally, such ranking of the species was summed up, and the average ranking was employed at the site level. Plant identification: All encountered plants were identified and recorded by their vernacular names. Later, these were converted to their botanical names using the Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh and experience. Plant specimens were collected and taken to the Bangladesh National Herbarium for the identification of plants that were not identified in the field. List of underutilized fruits were prepared with their up-to-date nomenclature (Rahim et al., 2011; Pasha and Uddin, 2013; www.the plant list.org). III. Results and Discussion Species diversity of underutilized

Source of Information: Research Article | No. 02, 2020 | Country: Bangladesh | pp. 10-20 | Open Access

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI:? ?https://doi.org/10.18801/ijfee.010120.02

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Study indicates that the Karnaphuli forest range is one of the richest areas for the minor/underutilized fruit collected from a single range along with some threatened species. Underutilized fruits used by indigenous people are closely linked to the cultural traditions and have an important role to play in supporting social diversity of ethnic people of Bangladesh. But deforestation, habitat destruction and more land under mono-cropping plantation causes threats and accelerate the disappearing from natural habitats. These underutilized fruits are mostly indigenous to Bangladesh but did not receive any attention in previous. A strategy to promote commercial production to boost the local economy would depend not only on increasing the volume of production but with initiating processing and value addition for raw fruit. A database on availability of different species of wild fruiting species and their uses should be compiled to aid such development of poor tribal areas.

Knowledge Management: Journal