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Status of Regeneration of Major Tree Species in the Sundarbans

M. A. Rahman*
Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh

M. G. Rakkibu
Forestry and Wood Technology Discipline, Khulna University, Khulna 9208, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Status of regeneration of 30 tree species in the Sundarbans has been provided based on data generated from 1203 Temporary Sample Plots (TSPs) during the Forest Resources Management Project (FRMP) Forest Inventory of the Sundarbans in 1996 and 1997. The extents of occurrence of individual species and mean number of seedlings and saplings per hectare have been provided which represents the whole of the Sundarbans. It was found that sundri (Heritiera fomes) constituted 54.92 % seedlings and 28.73 % saplings, while it was respectively 16.23 % and 19.64 % for gewa (Excoecaria agallocha) as well as 16.52 % and 44.36 % for goran (Ceriops decandra). Other species provided 12.33 % seedlings and 7.27 % saplings. Regeneration status of sundri, gewa, goran and amur (Amoora cuculata) of 1996-97 was compared with the data generated in January 2003 from 36 Sample Plots in 10 compartments of the Sundarbans. Comparison revealed that there occurred significant (p=0.05) increase in sundri and amur seedlings in 2003 as compared to 1996-1997 level.

Keywords: Regeneration, Seedlings, Saplings, Sundri, Gewa, Goran, Amur

Location: In the Sundarbans

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Variety and Species

Commodity: Tree

Objectives:

Therefore, it is considered to be of vital importance to find out the status of regeneration and recruitment of the tree species in general with special emphasis on sundri that is by far the most important tree species in the Sundarbans. Such knowledge would be useful in the sustainable management of top dying sundri in particular and Sundarbans in general.

Methodology:

Regeneration data of tree species presented in this paper were obtained from the data generated in 1996 and 1997 during the Forest Resources Management Project (FRMP) Forest Inventory of the Sundarbans and those generated from investigation in January 2003 by the authors in 36 sample plots laid out at 12 landings in compartment nos. 2, 11, 19 (having two landings), 20, 22, 26, 33, 36 (having 2 landings), 37 and 40. The 36 sample plots were selected in such a way that 9 sample plots fell in areas of very little or no top dying of sundri (i.e. none), slight, moderate and severe top dying of sundri. The area of each sample plot was 20 m x 20 m. Five regeneration sub-plots, each with 2 m x 2 m, were selected from each sample plot in such a way that one sub-plot fell in the centre of the four quadrant of the sample plot and the fifth sub-plot was from the centre of the sample plot. Thus all the seedlings and saplings of all tree species were recorded separately from 5 x 36=180 sub-plots. Seedlings with R1 type regeneration indicate all seedlings having stem height of less than 1.3 m while saplings with R2 type regeneration indicate all saplings having stem height more than 1.3 m but diameter at breast height (dbh) of less than 2.5 cm, and R3 type saplings having height more than 1.3m and dbh more than 2.5 cm. FRMP regeneration data were collected from 1203 Temporary Sample Plots (TSPs) laid out in 55 compartments in the Sundarbans. Each TSP was of 1899 m2 area in five sub-plots from which five circular regeneration sub-plots covering 15m2 area were selected. Collected data are maintained in the TSP Database at Sundarban Biodiversity Conservation Project (SBCP). By using a programme of the Structured Query Language (SQL) regeneration data were retrieved from the TSP Database for 1203 TSPs.

Since the data were collected from different sizes regeneration sub-plots during the FRMP Forest Inventory in 1996 and 1997 and during January 2003 both the data were transformed to per hectare values by multiplying with necessary factor by using the Microsoft Excel 1997 programme. The two data sets were then compared to find out whether there occurred significant difference among the mean values through analysis of variance by using the SAS and Microsoft Excel programme and further compared using Duncan’s Multiple Range Test (Duncan, 1955).

Source of Information: Khulna University Studies, 7(2): 37-44, 2006

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Numbers of seedlings and saplings per hectare and percent occurrence of each of 30 tree species for the whole of the Sundarbans have been provided. It can be recorded that sundri constituted 54.92 % seedlings and 28.73 % saplings, gewa represented 16.23 % seedlings and 19.64 % saplings, and goran had 16.52 % seedlings and 44.36 % of saplings. All the remaining 27 tree species collectively represented 12.33 % seedlings and 7.27 % saplings. A comparison of the regeneration data of sundri, gewa, goran and amur of 1996-97 with that generated in January 2003 from 36 sample plots in 10 compartments of the Sundarbans revealed that there has occurred significant (p = 0.05) increase in sundri and amur seedlings in 2003 as compared to 1996-1997 level.

Knowledge Management: Journal