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Phytosociological Characteristics and Diversity of Trees in a Co-managed Protected Area of Bangladesh: Implications for Conservation

Tapan Kumar Nath
School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Selangor, Malaysia

Mohammed Jashimuddin
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh

Md. Kamruzzaman
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh

Vaskar Mazumder
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh

Md. Kamrul Hasan
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Bangladesh

Sukumar Das
Divisional officer (retired), Bangladesh Forest Research Institute, Chittagong

Panchannon Kumar Dhali
German Development Cooperation, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The Chunati wildlife sanctuary (CWS), a degraded protected area in south-eastern Bangladesh, had been under co-management since 2004. This study examined phytosociological characteristics and diversity of trees in CWS and discussed villagers’ opinion on the impact of co-management on forest conservation. Following a stratified and systematic sampling 140 circular plots, 17.84m 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 co-management on forest conservation and on villagers’ livelihood. A total of 93 tree species were identified having a diameter at breast height (dbh) of ≥5cm 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 5-15 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 co-management and conservation of degraded CWS more collective efforts are needed to support their living.

Keywords: Diversity index, Tree density, Basal area, Co-management, Livelihood, Forest conservation.

Location:

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Conservation and Biodiversity

Commodity: Plant

Objectives:

• To assess the composition, structure, and diversity of trees, and natural regeneration in the CWS, and • To elucidate villagers’ opinion on the impact of co-management on forest conservation. It was expected that findings of the study would help to recommend important policy implications for the sustainability of co-management and the CWS.

Methodology:

Data collection for this research was conducted through vegetation survey, key-informants interview and focus group discussion, and carried out between July to December 2011. Key-informants Interviews and Focus Group Discussion Key-informant interviews were conducted with FD staff members including forest rangers, beat officers and guards, and sought their opinions on the co-management approach and its impact on forest management. A total of 15 focus group discussions, eight with community patrol groups (CPG) members, three with village conservation forums (VCF) members, three with local people (who are not CPG or VCF members) and one with co-management committee (CMC) members were held. Group discussions highlighted villagers’ opinion on impact of co-management on forest conservation, their involvement on forest conservation and enhancement of livelihoods due to co-management. A checklist was used to facilitate the discussion. Forest Vegetation Survey For the vegetation survey, stratified and systematic sampling was followed. The CWS consists of seven forest beats and each of them was treated as a strata. In total 140 circular plots (17.84 m radius), 20 in each beat were laid out. Circular plots are commonly used in vegetation studies, easy to establish, minimize error due to edge effects, provide relatively accurate and time efficient results on small stems (Sparks et al., 2002; Gage & Cooper, 2010). For locating plots, a base map of every beat was copied on tracing paper, with a point on each map near a permanent feature selected. Four or five equidistant parallel lines were then drawn on each map and 20 equidistant plots were marked on the lines. After identifying the point physically on ground, the first plot on the first line was selected by using a compass and a GPS (global positioning system) device (Garmin - GPSmap76Cx). The coordinates of the center points of each plot were recorded. Distance from plot to plot and line to line was measured based on base map scale and then located using the GPS. By using Google Earth Map the coordinates of all plots were laid out on respective beats of the CWS (Figure 1). For the regeneration study 140 co-centric plots, each with 1.25 m radius were laid out in seven beats. A field data collection format consisting of name of forest range and beat, geographical coordinates, tree species name, diameter at breast height (dbh), number of recently felled stumps, name and number of each regenerating tree species was used. All trees having dbh at least 5cm in each plot were counted species wise and the dbh were recorded. The number of recently felled stumps was counted. For regeneration, the numbers of seedlings (up to 1m in height) and saplings (1-2.5m in height) were counted for each species. Common tree species were identified directly in the field with help from local people and forest department staff. For unidentified tree species, plant parts (twigs, flowers and fruits) were collected and preserved in a herbarium, and later identified by a plant taxonomist in the Department of Botany, University of Chittagong, Data Processing and Analysis The phytosociological characteristics of tress including the species density, relative density (RD), frequency, relative frequency (RF), relative dominance (RDo), abundance, relative abundance (RA) and importance value index (IVI) of each species were calculated using formulae given by Moore & Chapman (1986). The IVI for regeneration was calculated as sum of RD, RF and RA whereas IVI for tree species was the sum of RD, RF and RDo. Several diversity indices (including Shannon-Wiener’s diversity index, Evenness index, Richness index, Index of dominance, and Disturbance index) were determined. The Shannon-Weiner diversity index (H) was calculated according to Shannon & Weiner (1963): H= -∑ (ni/N) x Ln (ni/N) where ni= Number of individuals of one species in a site N= total number of individuals of all species in a site .

Source of Information: Journal of Sustainable Forestry ISSN: 1054-9811 (Print) 1540-756X (Online) Journal homepage:

Article Link (Online Journal): http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wjsf20

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

A number of co-management projects had been implemented in CSW since 2004 in order to conserve the forests for wildlife habitat. Villagers as well as staff of forest department claimed that due to co-management activities wildlife population had increased and these animals sometimes damaged properties of villagers. Villagers commented that they had been working with forest department to protect forests, but elephants destroyed their resources including food crops and even killed people. This dichotomy (unpaid labor on forest protection and property loss) had created frustration among villagers and this raised the question on sustainable engagement of villagers in co-management. There might be two ways to ease this dichotomous problem. First, supporting the villagers continuously through project funding which is eventually not realistic. In that case, besides prevailing alternative income generation activities, it is necessary to create additional income sources for forest dependent poor villagers through collective management of CWS’s resources. It was noticed that there were many lakes inside the CWS illegally, as locals and FD staff mentioned, occupied by local influential people. These can be brought under collective management through which poor villagers will be benefited. For this a multi-stakeholder dialogue involving local people, existing co-management institutions (CMC, CPG, VCF, PF, etc.), FD staff, political leaders, civil society members, and other relevant agencies is necessary to reach a consensus on the importance of sustainable conservation of CWS.

Knowledge Management: Journal