Agricultural Research Management Information System

Home
Research Summary
Search
About Us
- ARMIS
- Brochure
Contact Us
Report
User Request
Data Input
Help
- Operation Manual
  - PDF
  - Video
- Program Area & Commodity
We have reached 37600 number of research entries at this moment.

- Logout

Research Detail

Home
Research
Detail

Hydrophytes in the High BARInd Tract: Diversity Status, Threats and Conservation

SYEDA SALMA BEGUM
Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges, Road Transport and Highways Division, Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A survey was conducted to assess the diversity of hydrophytes in some selected locations including Kharoil Beel (Mohanpur), Beel Kumari (Tanore) and Jobai Beel (Sapahar) situated in High Barind Tract, Rajshahi, Bangladesh from June 2005 to May 2008. Among them Jobai Beel is the largest, Beel Kumari is medium and Kharoil Beel is small in size. At experimental areas a total of 151 plant species and 90 genera distributed in 44 families was identified. From the result, diversity status of the study areas, the values ranged between 0.94-0.97 in Simpson’s index and 3.55-4.13 in Shannon’s index. Diversity status of three study areas shows richness. Sequence of richness is as follows- Kharoil Beet> Beel Kumari > Jobai Beel. It is also evident that these wetlands are disturbed by anthropogenic activities. Some of the species have become threatened, some have become rare. Conservation efforts and awareness building are perquisite for the sustainability of these wetlands.

Keywords: High barind tract, Hydrophytes, Diversity, Threats, Conservation

Location: High Barind Tract, Rajshahi, Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-06-2005

End Date: 00-05-2008

Program Area: Conservation and Biodiversity

Commodity: Land degradation

Objectives:

Thus present study aims to identify and assess the hydrophytes diversity in High Barind Tract, observe the scenario of threats of these wetlands which are caused by anthropogenic activities and prepare a strategy of these wetlands conservation by combining indigenous knowledge and findings of the research

Methodology:

The Kharoil Beel issituated at Mohanpur upzilla under Rajshahi district and at the central region of the High Barind Tract. Mohanpur upzilla is bounded on the North by Manda upzilla of Naogaon zilla, on the East by Bagmara and Durgapur, upzilla on the South by Paba upzilla and on the west by Tanore upzilla. It is located between 24°29' and 24°38' north latitude and between 88°34' and 88°43' east longitude and has an area of 73.75 acres spreading over 1 mouza and the depth of water varied from 2-4 m. with a maximum reaching up to 5 m. connected the river Bomai which further connected to the river Atrai. The nature of soil in Kharoil beel was moderately.alkaline. The Beel Kumari is situated at Tanore upzilla under Rajshahi district at the central region of the High Barind Tract. Tanore upzilla is bounded in the north by Niamatpur and Manda upzilla, in the south by Paba and Gaodagari, upzilla in the east by Mohanpur upzilla and in the west by Nawabgonj and Nachole upzilla. It lies between 24°29'- 24°43' north latitude and 88°24' - 88°38' east longitude area of the beel is 502.66 acre spread over Chanduria union to Chowbari union which spreading over 2 mouza. The depth of water varied from 3-5 m with a maximum reaching up to 7-10 m. connected the river river Shib which was further connected to the river Atrai. The nature of soil in Beel Kumari was moderately alkaline. The Jobai Beel is situated on the Sapahar upzilla under Naogaon district. Sapahar upzilla is bounded in the north by West- Dinajpur of India, in the south by Porsha upzilla, in the east by Potnitola upzilla and in the west by Maldha district of India. It lies between 25° OT - 25°13' north latitude and 88°26'- 88°38' east longitude area of 912.24 acre spreading cover 5 mouzas. The depth of the water varied from 3.5 m (app.) in dry season, maximum reaching up to 10-12 m (app.) during rainy season connected the river Dhoala and “Pumabhaba” which further connected to the river Atrai. The nature of soil in Jobai beel found slightly acidic to moderately alkaline. Climate condition of these area experiences with the longest cool winter period (79-100 days) and the highest number of days (5-10 days) with maximum atmospheric temperature above 40°C in March-May, whereas the minimum temperature started to fall below 18° ranges between November. Both in summer and winter seasons the water level of these wetlands gradually fall. Then central portion of these wetland areas proper retains water but greater portion of beels are used for cultivation of crops. June arrives with the monsoon rainfall and the water level of these wetlands begins to increase again; the process continues throughout the entire post monsoon period. During monsoon and post monsoon the three wetlands areas turn into dense aquatic vegetation. Monthly sampling was made from a period of June 2005 to May 2008 for the collection of hydrophytes plants and to study the diversity status of three wetlands namely Kharoil Beel, Beel Kumari and Jobai Beel. Plant species diversity within the wetlands determined by the quadrate method was used throughout the period of investigation (Krebs 1989). In each three sites, 12 quadrates (lxl acre) were randomly laid to individual number of hydrophytes belonging to each of the species met which was identified and recorded. Hydrophytes species identification was done with the help of standard literatures (Hooker 1872-1897, Roxburgh 1834, Prain 1903, Cook 1996, Kundu 1938, Khan and Halim 1987, Siddique et al. 2007 and Ahmed et al. 2008b, 2009a and 2008-2009). Simpson's diversity index Simpson (1949) and Shanon's diversity index Mac.Arthur (1963) and Peet (1974) were applied to determine species diversity and species richness.

Source of Information: J. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh. Sci. 40(2): 259-270, December 2014

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Based on the field observations and present preliminary results, it may be concluded that study sites are rich in the hydrophytes diversity which however, is severely threatened because of anthropogenic pressure. Therefore, in the context of Bangladesh many hydrophytes species will be extinct before their introduction to science. In the prevailing circumstances, awareness building, motivation and best practice among local people about focusing all aspects of hydrophytes diversity of these wetlands could be acted for reaching the destination in protecting the wetland areas and strengthening their plant conservation. Finally, it appears that there is a scope for long term research on these wetlands regarding the conservation and management of their plant diversity.

Knowledge Management: Journal