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Native Tree Species Diversity of Rampahar Natural Forest Reserve in Rangamati South Forest Division, Bangladesh

Bishwajit Chowdhury
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh

Mohammed Kamal Hossain
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh

Md. Akhter Hossain*
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh

Bayezid Mahmud Khan
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong-4331, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Tropical forests of Bangladesh are facing rapid loss in floristic diversity and resultant changes of vegetation necessitates the assessment of plant composition and diversity. The present study was conducted to assess the composition of native tree species of Rampahar Forest Reserve of Rangamati hill district, Bangladesh. Rampahar is a remnant tropical semievergreen natural forest extending to an area of 648 ha. Simple random sampling method with 20 m × 20 m sized 20 and 5 m × 5 m sized 10 samples plots were used to study both tree species composition and seedling status of tree species. A total of 50 tree species under 28 families and 15 regenerating tree species under 13 families were recorded in the study area. Family Moraceae possessed the highest number of tree species (6 species) while families Anacardiaceae and Sterculiaceae possessed the highest number (2 species) for regenerating tree species. The survey indicated that Protium serratum (Wall. ex Colebr.) Engl. is the most dominant tree species with the highest relative density (RD), relative frequency (RF) and importance value index (IVI). Basal area of all the tree species was 13.13 m² /ha where Ficus religiosa was represented by the highest basal area (1.14 m²/ha). Protium serratum was also a dominant regenerating tree species with highest RD (15.24%), RF (16.30%) and IVI (50.09). The native trees species of this remnant forest need attention for immediate conservation programs to prevent further degradation of the forest.

Keywords: Conservation initiatives, Importance value index, Native tree species, Rampahar Forest Reserve, Tree composition.

Location: Rampahar Forest Reserve of Rangamati hill district, Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-00-2009

End Date:

Program Area: Conservation and Biodiversity

Commodity: Plant

Objectives:

The present study was undertaken to determine the structure, composition and to construct an inventory of native tree species in Rampahar Forest Reserve. This inventory of native tree species generates baseline information to monitor changes in species composition and to undertake conservation and management activity of the reserve in future.

Methodology:

The study was conducted in the remnant natural forest of Rampahar, Kaptai under Rangamati South Forest Division, Bangladesh. It lies approximately at the intersection of 920 13´E and 220 32´N and is about 60 km away from Chittagong City (Chowdhury, 2006). The area of Rampahar block is about 648 ha extending from east to west. The altitude of valley bottoms ranges from 30 to 90 meters above the sea level and maximum elevation is about 500 m (Uddin and Hassan, 2012; Rashid and Chowdhury, 2013). The reserve is located within a mixed evergreen forest biographic zone and numerous streams flow through it (Khan and Monirul, 2008). The perennial springs as well as the river Karnaphuli are the sources of water supply in the reserve during the winter. On the other hand, due to the abundance of rainfall, there is no dearth of water for vegetation during the rainy season which is incidentally the growing season of the plants. Rampahar Forest Reserve is bounded by degraded hills with a tribal settlement on the West and the river Karnaphuli on the South. Tectona grandis plantation of Chitmarom Forest Beat lies on the East and North which is being separated by a channel known as ‘Baluchhara’. Geologically, the area belongs to the Pliocene and Miocene epoch of the tertiary period. The area is irregularly rugged and consists of a series of ridges and valleys running from north to south. The study area was visited prior to the field work in 2009, to have a general idea of the site, topography, accessibility and species composition. A complete stratified random quadrat sampling method was adapted for this study. Through reconnaissance survey the forest area was stratified into three habitats, e.g. valley, mid slope and ridge. In each habitat, 20 sample plots (20 m × 20 m) were laid for the assessment of tree species composition and 10 sample plots (5 m × 5 m) were laid for the assessment of seedlings. Regenerated trees having ≤ 2 cm diameter at breast height (DBH) was considered as seedlings. In the regeneration plots the name and number of seedlings were recorded. The optimum quadrat size (20 m × 20 m) was determined by applying a species area curve as described by Sharma (1979) and Gareth (1991). Within each plot the name and number of all tree species were recorded. DBH of all trees greater than or equal to 5 cm and total height were measured using diameter tape (made in Germany) and Spiegel Relascope (made in Austria) respectively. The common tree species were identified directly in the field, while the fertile samples of the unknown tree species were collected for the preparation of herbarium specimens. The collected specimens were identified and species names were checked following Prain (1903), Heinig (1925), Raizada (1941), Sinclair (1956), Siddiqui et al. (2007), Ahmed et al. (2008) and with the help of taxonomists from the Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong (IFESCU) and the Bangladesh Forest Research Institute (BFRI). The field data were compiled and analyzed for density, relative density (RD %), frequency, relative frequency (RF %), abundance, relative abundance (RA %) and Importance Value Index (IVI) according to Moore and Chapman (1986), Shukla and Chandel (1980) and Dallmeier et al. (1992). The basal area of individual tree was calculated according to Chaturvedi and Khanna (1982). The equations (Eqn. no. 1-7) used for calculation. Microsoft Excel and R software packages were used for data compilation and analysis.

Source of Information: Ceylon Journal of Science 47(2) 2018: 129-136

Article Link (Online Journal): DOI: http://doi.org/10.4038/cjs.v47i2.7508

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The present study provides findings of the tree composition and regeneration status of Rampahar Forest Reserve, Rangamati South Forest Division. The forest harbors high biodiversity. However, the natural regeneration process of the forest seems to be poor. Most of the plants were belonged to the “Least Concern” conservation status, Swintonia floribunda was reported to be ‘Vulnerable’ whereas some other species such as Artocarpus chama, Firmiana colorata, Palaquium polyanthum, Schleichera oleosa and Stereospermum colais were considered as “Not Evaluated” and seem getting rare in the forest.

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