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Status of Coastal Plantations and Its Impact on Land Stabilization, Soil Ph and Salinity at Nolchira Range of Hatiya Island, Bangladesh.

M. Main Uddin
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong. Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh

M. Kamal Hossain
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of Chittagong. Chittagong 4331, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

The study was conducted to explore the status of coastal plantations, land accretion, erosion and stabilization at Nolchira Range of Hatiya Upazila of Noakhali district, Bangladesh. Among four beats of Nolchira coastal Range, Ochkhali and Dalchar beats were selected. Sample plots of 20m×20m (400m²) were taken randomly for mangrove plantation. For highway, embankment and feeder road plantations, 50m long strips were selected for the vegetation sampling. In Nolchira forest range of Hatiya Island about 14370.73 ha of newly accreted land was planted by Sonneratia apetala of which 12450.62 ha was stabilized during the period of 1967 to 2007 under Coastal Afforestation Project (CAP), Mangrove Afforestation Project (MAP), 2nd Forestry Project, Forest Resource Management Project (FRMP) and Revenue projects in Nolchira range. The rest 1920.11 ha was eroded by river and wave action. 27 years old Sonneratia apetala attained 21 cm dbh and 16.5 m height growth in Ochkhali beat, whereas 27 years old Sonneratia apetala attained 24.5 cm dbh and 18.5 m height growth in Dalchar beat. Whereas, 27 years old Albizia saman attained 54 cm dbh in Ochkhali highway plantations, 40 cm in 14 years old embankment and 16.4 cm in 12 years old feeder road plantations respectively. Similarly, Acacia auriculiformis attained the dbh of 37 cm, 19.6 cm and 10.5 cm respectively for the same site. Whereas, Casuarina equisetifolia attained the dbh of 17 cm, 13.5 cm and 12.5 cm respectively in the same site. The soil pH and salinity showed lower in old coastal plantation in comparisons in comparison to uri-grass land and newly accreted char lands. Among 12450.62 ha of stabilized coastal lands, 795 ha mature forest land was already converted into agricultural land. The stabilized coastal plantations protected the coastal environment of Hatiya Island from the severe loss and damage of coastal lives and properties due to the catastrophic effect of super cyclone SIDR in November 2007.

Keywords: Coastal plantations, Coastal environment, Mangrove, Land stabilization, Soil pH, Salinity.

Location: Nolchira range of Hatiya Upazilla in Noakhali district

Start Date: 00-01-2007

End Date: 00-12-2007

Program Area: Risk Management in Agriculture

Commodity: Soil salinity

Objectives:

The Nolchira Range is situated at the north-eastern side of Hatiya Upazilla in Noakhali district. Till 2007, a total of 14370.73 ha coastal plantations was planted in the Nolchira coastal forest Range of Hatiya Island in Noakhali district of Bangladesh. The study was carried out to assess the role of coastal plantations on land stabilization along with exploring coastal afforestation effect on soil pH, salinity and coastal environment protecting itself from natural disaster viz. cyclones, tornadoes, floods, etc.

Methodology:

The study was conducted from January 2007 to December 2007 in Nolchira range of Hatiya Upazilla in Noakhali district that was administered by Noakhali Coastal Afforestation Division. Before 1967, the area of Hatiya Island was small in compare to the present land mass. Though accretion and erosion is a continuous process, a large sized landmass has been stabilized at Northern and western side of Hatiya after the establishment of coastal plantations. The range consists of 4 beats namely Ochkhali, Gashiar Char, Char Nurul Islam and Dalchar Beat. Considering the limitations of time and accessibility, the present study was concentrated only in Ochkhali and Dalchar beats of the coastal forest Range. 15 plots of size 20 m x 20 m were taken for 27 years old Sonneratia apetala and Avicennia officinalis from both the Ochkhali and Dalchar beast by simple random sampling methods for determining the growth performance of the plantations. Ten plots of 50 meter long strips were taken for each highway, embankment and feeder road plantations to assess the growth and development of non-mangrove species. A total of 15 randomly selected coastal soil sample plots (05 plots from each land type ) (newly accreted charlands, uri-grass lands and 27 years old Sonneratia and Avicennia plantations) were collected from the depth of 0-5cm, 5-15 cm and 15-40 cm respectively with the help of soil auger, packed, labeled and carried to the Institute laboratory for chemical analysis.

a. Determination of soil pH and salinity (1:2 soil-water ratios) 20g moist soil was taken in a clean dry 50 ml beaker and 40 ml of distilled water was added. The content was thoroughly stirred with a glass rod for half an hour. The pH of the suspension was measured using digital pH meter (TOA, Japan). Before taking pH reading of the soil suspension, the meter was standardized using buffer solution of pH 7 (Black et al. 1965). Similarly for measuring soil salinity, the mixture in the same ratio was then kept overnight for the settlement of the suspended materials and clear solution was then obtained by filtering through Whitman filter paper No. 1. The salinity of the soil sample was then measured from the solution using digital conductivity meter. The salinity was then calculated by reading of the salinity meter × 0.967 × 10-6 × 10 × 100 dsm-1.

Source of Information: IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science (IOSR-JAVS) e-ISSN: 2319-2380, p-ISSN: 2319-2372.Volume 3, Issue 4 (May. - Jun. 2013), PP 57-61 www.iosrjournals.org

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Budget:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

Coastal plantations play an important role in reducing the vulnerability of coastal people to natural disasters. A total of almost14370.73 ha of newly accreted char land were plated by pioneer coastal mangrove species where approximately 12450.62 ha of land were stabilized. Almost 795 ha of a stabilized great landmass were transformed into agricultural land in Nolchira Range of Hatiya Island in Bangladesh which ultimately showed that the land was highly stabilized. The plantations act as a bio-shield to safeguard the coastal people and in the long-term changes the topography through processes of sediment accretion and land stabilization. The fringe-like root systems of the Sonneratia (Keora)/ Avicennia (Baen) plantations act as a coastal land stabilizer and binders of sediments. It prevents soil erosion and gradually stabilized the newly accreted land that may contribute to the landmass gaining from the Bay of Bengal. The soil PH and salinity were varied at different depths in different land strips. The soil PH and salinity were found comparatively lower in stabilized coastal plantations in comparison to grassland and newly accreted char land. However, local residents reported (2007) that coastal plantations in Hatiya Island protected thousands of lives and properties of the coastal environment from the catastrophic effect of super cyclone SIDR that was damaged on the coast of Bangladesh on November 15, 2007. Whereas the number of deaths was remarkable in this area due to the cyclonic damage in Aril 29, 1991 because of lacking stabilized coastal plantations.

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