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Status of Homestead Biodiversity in the Offshore Island of Bangladesh

Mohammed Shafiul Alam
Associate Professor
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong, Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh

Kazi Mohammad Masum
Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF)
Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation Division, 2 BFRI Campus, Sholashahor, Bangladesh.

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

Diversity of plant, livestock and fish species, species richness and preferences of farmers were studied in one of the offshore islands of Bangladesh. The assessment was done by means of multistage random sampling. A total of 142 plant species belonging to 61 families were identified in the island, of which 76 species were recorded as tree species, 25 shrub species and 41 herb species. Again out of the plant species, 34 species were fruit-producing species, 24 timber species, 21 fuelwood species, 15 medicinal species, 11 ornamental species, 32 vegetable species and 5 species of spices. Most of the farmer (76%) preferred to plant fruit tree species for future plantation followed by timber species (62%). Diversity and abundance of fruit species was found higher in all homestead. Poultry (64%) was the major livestock component of each household followed by Goat (12%), Cattle (10%), Buffalo (8%), and sheep (6%). A total of 24 species of cultured fishes under 14 families were recorded. Among them 9 species were identified as Large-sized fishes (Boromaach) and 15 species as Small-sized fishes (chhotomaach). The annual income from the homestead biodiversity varies from Tk. 12500 to Tk. 41000 depending on the household size.

Keywords: Homestead forest, Biodiversity, Offshore island, Livestock, Bangladesh

Location: Sandwip Upazila of Chittagong district, Bangladesh

Start Date: 00-06-2003

End Date: 00-08-2003

Program Area: Conservation and Biodiversity

Commodity: Homestead Agroforestry

Objectives:

To understand the species richness, species and composition, structure, soil conservation methods, fruit species conservation, household food security, and socio-economic importance of homestead forest as well as to formulate biodiversity conservation planning highlighting homestead forest of Bangladesh for sustainable production and maintenance of biodiversity.

Methodology:

Field investigations were carried out in Sandwip Upazila (the offshore island) over a period of three months (June-August, 2003). Sandwip Upazila of Chittagong district lies in between 22°16' and 22°43' North latitude and between 91°17' and 91°37' East longitude. It comprises an area of 762.42 sq. km. Soil is formed by the Meghna estuarine floodplain alluvial soil of recent origin. Tropical monsoon climate prevails in the areas with an average maximum temperature of about 25.4°Cto 31.6°C and the average annual rainfall is 3600 mm. A multistage simple random sampling method was applied to locate the village and households for the study with Upazila as the primary sampling unit and households of the villages as the ultimate sampling unit. From a total of 20 Upazila of Chittagong district, Sandwip Upazila was selected purposively as this is the only offshore island of Chittagong district and a forest poor Upazila of Bangladesh. Out of 15 unions in Sandwip, three unions were firstly selected randomly. Then three villages, one from each union were randomly selected. The total number of households in the villages was obtained from the District census published by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics. According to the EPI survey, 2002 total [8] population of the Upazila was 321676 (Male 166473 and Female 155203) and according to the Statistical pocketbook, Bangladesh 2000, total households of the Upazila was 43292 . A preliminary survey administering a [7] pre-tested questionnaire was then conducted to determine the socio-economic status in relation to the farm size of the households in the villages. From the results, it was found that the farm size is proportional to the socio-economic status of the households and they were then divided into 3 categories depending on the farm size: large (more than 0.25 hectare), medium (between 0.05 to 0.25 hectare) and small (smaller than 0.05 hectare). To determine the farm size only land surrounding the homestead was counted i.e. house, yard (back and front) and pond (if present around home). 45 households, 15 from each category (i.e. 5 households of each category from each village) were then selected randomly using random number tables. Species Richness index and Species evenness index were also calculated with the help of formula given by Margalaf. 1. Density of a species = (Total no. of individuals of a species in all the quadrates) / (Total no. of quadrates studied). 2. Relative density of a species = (Total no. of individuals of a species in all the quadrates X 100) / (Total no. of individual of all species). 3. The Shanon-Winner index for diversity, H = -j Pi lnPi. Where, H = Index of species diversity, Pi = No. of individual of one species/Total no. of individuals in the samples. 4. Diversity index, D = S/N. Where, D = Diversity Index, S = Total number of species, N = Total number of individuals. 5. Species richness index, R = (S-1)/ log N. Where, R = Species richness index, S = Total no. of species, N = Total no. of individuals of all the species. 6. Species evenness index, E = H / log S. Where, E = Species evenness index, H = Shanon-Winner index of diversity, S = Total no. of species.

Source of Information: Res. J. Agric. & Biol. Sci. 1(3): 246-253, 2005

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Assessment was done by means of multistage random sampling. A total of 142 plant species belonging to 61 families were identified in the island, of which 76 species were recorded as tree species, 25 shrub species and 41 herb species. Again out of the plant species, 34 species were fruit-producing species, 24 timber species, 21 fuelwood species, 15 medicinal species, 11 ornamental species, 32 vegetable species and 5 species of spices. Most of the farmer (76%) preferred to plant fruit tree species for future plantation followed by timber species (62%). Diversity and abundance of fruit species was found higher in all homestead. Poultry (64%) was the major livestock component of each household followed by Goat (12%), Cattle (10%), Buffalo (8%), and sheep (6%). A total of 24 species of cultured fishes under 14 families were recorded. Among them 9 species were identified as Large sized fishes (Boromaach) and 15 species as Small sized fishes (chhotomaach). The annual income from the homestead biodiversity varies from Tk. 12500 to Tk. 41000 depending on the household size.

Knowledge Management: Journal