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Protecting our forest resources

Md. Mahfujur Rahman
IN Bangladesh forest lands account for only 17 percent of total land area that includes classified and unclassified state lands and homestead forests and tea/rubber gardens. In case of private forests, the data represent the tree-covered areas. Of the 2.52 million hectare forest land, Forest Department manages 1.52 million hectare which includes Reserved. Protected and Acquired forest and Mangrove forest on the newiy accreted land in estuaries of major rivers. The remaining 0.73 million hectare of land designated as Unclassed State Forest (USF) is under the control of Ministry of Land. Village forests (homestead land) form the most productive tree resource base in the country and accounts for 0.27 million hectare.
Type and composition of forest
Depending on their location, nature and type of management of the forests of Bangladesh can be grouped into three broad categories: Mangrove forests
TYopical evergreen and semievergreen forests
Tropical moist deciduous forests
Mangrove forests
i. Natural mangrove forests: Sundarban, the largest single tract of natural mangrove forest, is situated in southwestern Bangladesh and West Bengal, India. Our Sundarban consists of a total of 6,01,700 hectare which is 4.07 percent of total land mass of the country and 40 percent of total forest land. Sundarban harbours 334 species of trees, shrubs and epiphytes and 269 species of wild animals. It is famous as home to the world ren o w n e d Royal Bengal
Tiger (Panthera tigris tigris). 1,39,700 hectare forest land of Sundarban is declared as World Heritage Site where three wildlife sanctuaries viz. Sundarban East, Sundarban West and Sundarban South are located.
Sundri (Heritiera femes) is the most important tree species in the Sundarban which is distributed over 73 percent of the reserve. Extent of Sundri is followed by Gewa (Excoecaria agallocha), Baen (Avecinnia offcecinalis), Passur (Xylocarpur mekongensis), Keora (Sonneratia apetala) etc. There are some other nonwood forest products like Golpata (Nypa fruticans), honey, wax, fish, crab etc which are also of high value. According to the forest inventory of 1998 there is 12.26 million cubic meter timber available from the species of Sundri, Gewa, Keora, Baen, Dhundul, Passur etc with 15cm and above diameter.
Besides being the home of Royal Bengal Tiger, Sundarban is a unique habitat for a number of wildlife. Among them some mammals are Gangetic Dolphin (Platanista gangetica), Monkey (Macaca mulatta), Indian Fishing Cat (Felis viverrina), Indian Otter (Lutra perspiciilata). Spotted Deer (Axis axi') etc. Reptiles like Estuarine Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), Monitor Lizard (Varanus salvator), Rock Python (Python molurus) and Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas) etc. are found in the Sundarban.
ii. Mangrove plantation: Mangrove afforestation along the entire southern coastal frontier and newly accreted islands in estuarine zone, south central Bangladesh, is an innovation of Forest Department. The initiative of afforestation programme along the shore land of coastal districts taken in early sixties got momentum from 1980-81. With the aid of development
partners the afforestation programmes are extended over foreshore islands, embankments and along the open coasts. Since 1960-61 up to 1999-2000, 142,835 hectare of mangrove plantations has been raised under several coastal afforestation projects. The present net area of mangrove plantation is 132,000 hectare after losing some area due to natural calamities.
Tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests Tropical evergreen and semi evergreen forests are extended over Chittagong, Cox's Bazar, Chittagong Hill Tracts and Sylhet totaling an area of 6,70,000 hectare which is 4.54 percent of total landmass of the country and 44 percent of national forest land. Depending on the topography, soil characteristics and climate these areas are categorized as i) Tropical wet evergreen forests and ii) Tropical semi-evergreen forests.
The hill forests are abundant with numerous plant as well as animal species. Some important flora are Garjan (Dipterocarpus spp.), Chapalish (Artocarpus chaplasha). Telsur (Hopea odorata), Tali (Palaquium polyanthrum), Kamdeb (Callophyllum polyanthum), Uriam (Mangifera sylvatica), Jarul (Legarstromia speciosa), Civit (Swintonia floribunda), Toon (Cedreia toona), Bandorhola (Duabanga grandiflora) etc. Moreover there are bamboo, cane, climbers and fern etc. in these forests in plenty.
These forests have been brought under plantation programme since 1871. At present, plantation activities are being conducted under development projects. Some valuable plantation species are Teak (Tectona grandis), Gamar (Gmelina arborea), Mehogani (Swietenia spp), Chapalish (Artocarpus chaplasha), Jarul
(Legarstromia speciosa), Koroi (Albizzia spp), Chikrassi (Chikrassia tabularis), Pynkado (X y 1 ia dolabriformis), Kadam (Anthocephalus cadamba), Telsur (Hopea odorata) etc.Among the mammals Elephant (Elephas maximus), Monkey (Macaca mulatta), Wild Boar (Sus scrofa), Barking Deer ( Muntiacus muntjak), Samvar (Cervus unicolor), Indian Leopard (Panthera pardus). among the reptiles King Cobra (Ophiophagus hanna) Monitor Lizard (Varanus salvator) and Bengal Monitor Lizard (Varanus bengalensis) are remarkable.
Tropical moist deciduous forests The central and northern districts covering an area of 1,20,000 ha, about 0.81 percent of total land mass of the countryand 7.8 percent of the country’s forest land are bestowed with Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests. This forest is intermingled with the neighbouring settlements and fragmented into smaller patches. Sal (Shorea robusta) is the main species there with other associates like Koroi (Albizzia procera), Azuli (Dillenia pentagyna), Sonalu (Cassia fistula), Bohera (Terminalia belerica), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Kanchan (Bauhinia acuminata), Jarul (Lager-stroemia speciosa), Jam (Syzygium spp) etc. A recent forest inventory encountered that 3.75 million cubic meter wood is available in the sal forests.Presently participatory forestry programme is being implemented under the social forestry initiatives. Among the mammals, Jackal (Canis aureus), Monkey (Macaca mulatta), Wild cat (Felis chaus) etc. are found there and among the reptiles Bengal Monitor Lizard (Varanus bengalensis) and common cobra are remarkable.
Conclusion
The extent of forest cover and health of forest ecosystems are among some vital environmental indicators of a country. It is recommended that about one fourth of a country should be forest lend for maintaining an ecoh . balance. However, the quantity and quality of forest
resources in Bangladesh is deteriorating with time. The original natural forest cover is less than six percent of the land area. Most of the forestland suffer human encroachment or contain artificial plantation. Though different plantation programmes increased the vegetation cover of the country but we have to remember
in mind that plantation is not equal to forest cover. Urgent action should be taken by government to protect the natural forest cover of Bangladesh.
Md. Mahfujur Rahman works for Center for Environmental and Geographic Information Services (CEGIS). a public trust under Waler Resources Ministry.