INVASIVE PLANTS: A THREAT TO FOREST ECOSYSTEM

Invasive species

For long times, economic valuable plants have been introducing in Bangladesh. Plant's migration or introduction from one place to another sometimes may be natural or planned. Many other countries, including Bangladesh have been introducing plants from different countries or geographic areas of the world. Settlers, invaders, seamen and traders have been brought most of the plants, having no detailed records of these exotic plants. Many of them are of economic benefit. However, a good number of exotic plants is weedy in nature. Most of them were introduced as ornamental plants before becoming established elsewhere. Some of them are so well established that they are now the dominant plant and became noxious weeds of forests and wastelands (Eupatorium odoratum, Mikenia cordata, Croton spp. etc.). Some are also considered noxious weeds of cultivated fields (Alternanthera, Scoparia and Heliotropium spp.). Others are found in water land (Eichhornia, Eleocharis and Monocharia spp.).

In the 19th century, the British was mostly contributed to the introduction of some economically important forest plants from almost all the continents. The introduced species are Tectona grandis, Albizia spp., Samanea saman, Xylia kerrii, and Swietenia macrophylla. In the 20th century, this trend continued to be the same and some Australian species (Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Acacia mangium, Acacia auriculiformis) are getting preferences in the plantation programmes in Bangladesh. Leucaena leucocephala (Tropical America) are also found all over the country and pines (Pinus oocarpa and P. caribaea) are also planting in the hilly areas. Of these, the Acacia auriculiformis is dominating in all the plantation programmes and growing well in all sorts of degraded land. Recently, the controversy arose out of that pollen of the species is allergic to many people. Very recently, the cultivars and hybrids of different crops and ornamental plants have been also introduced haphazardly. Some weedy species dominate crop fields, forests, wasteland and marginal lands. Some of the species have luxuriant growth and suppressed the growth of other native species. This results in a loss of native floral diversity across the country.

The danger posed to natural habitats by these alien invasive plants is becoming a major concern among conservationists, ecologists, foresters, policy makers and scientists. To overcome such problems caused by the invasive plant species to the natural ecosystem, the possible suggestions such as to raise awareness among the planters, growers and public; to develop a database on invasive species; to quantify the abundance of the invasive species; to develop environmentally sound eradication methods; and to introduce the necessary quarantine, legislation and regulations on the spread of the invasive plants.

WOOD UTILIZATION IN BANGLADESH

Fuel wood

Bangladesh forests are surviving under high level of demographic stress. The production from forest areas is continuously declining and most of it is consumed within the country, and a large quantity is imported to satisfy domestic consumption. The continual change in species and age group, and lowering of average age of forests is adversely affecting the sustainability of the current forest ecosystems. Therefore, production of timber and fuel wood from forest areas have fallen by more than 50% after the felling ban in 1988-89. However, the actual production after including private sources is much higher and is estimated at 7.9 million m3 of round wood of all kinds, and 656 million bamboos. The wood is primarily used for meeting needs of fuel wood, sawn timber, poles, pulpwood and other products in Bangladesh.

Fuel wood is the main forest product (61% of total round wood) in Bangladesh. The country annually requires about 9.4 million m3 of fuel wood against supply of about 6.18 million m3 whereas share of domestic 70% (like cooking), industrial 28% (like brick burning), and commercial 2% (like bakeries and restaurants) use of the total fuel wood consumption in the country. The consumption is expected to raise 11.9 million m3 by 2015. The majority of the fuel wood supply comes from the village groves.

The annual requirement of sawn timber in Bangladesh is expected to rise from 5.4 million m3 (round) in 2000 to 6.8 million m3 (round) in 2015. The sawn wood production is expected to increase from current estimated level of 1.45 million m3 (round) in 2000 to the estimated level of 1.9 million m3 (round) in 2015.

Bangladesh is now heavily dependent on imports of forest and forest-based products for meeting its basic consumption. A huge trade deficit exists in the forest products. Primary imports of logs and sawn timbers are from countries like United States, Canada, Australia, Myanmar, Singapore and Malaysia. The Government of Bangladesh tries to contain import of forest products through imposition of duty and restriction on imports.

ECO-PARK AND ECO-TOURISM IN BANGLADESH

Eco-park

Natural forests of Bangladesh are under constant pressure and have already been significantly been degraded and fragmented. Out of the total area of Bangladesh is 14.76 million ha, merely 1.44 million ha is covered by forest (close to 10%). Much of the forest land does not have satisfactory tree cover and just 0.84 million ha (about 5.8%) of the state forest land has good forest cover. Concentrated efforts have recently been made as an attempt to restore the unique condition of native forest ecosystems in some critical forest areas throughout the country. Several protected areas, e.g. National park, Wildlife Sanctuary, Game Reserve was created to conserve the biodiversity. Bangladesh Government has taken initiatives to establish eco-parks at different places throughout the country. The government prepared Eco-tourism Development and Management Plan since 2004, and continuing, until now. The first eco-park has been inaugurated at Chandranath Hill and surrounding areas, located in Sitakund upazila of Chittagong. This project was initiated in 1999-2000. After that another four eco-parks has been established throughout the country namely, Madhutila Eco-park, Madhob-kunda eco-park, Banskhlai eco-park and Kua-kata eco-park.

Eco-tourism is a recent term for Bangladesh, and most of the people are not familiar with this term. The sustainability of eco-tourism in tourist’s spots mainly depends on consistent arrival of visitors to the destination without destroying the natural resource. Thus, it is important to ensure that the visitors are satisfied that the natural areas are not being degraded and environment remains sound and free from pollution, and that quality services are being provided. At the same time, the local people must be benefited from the development of tourism. Eco-tourism acts as an instrument to mobilize the forest dwellers to co-operate and work with the park-managers to protect and conserve the biological resources.

STATUS OF FOREST GENETIC RESOURCES IN BANGLADESH

Natural reserve in Bangladesh

Bangladesh, located in the humid tropical region is rich in species diversity and is unique in the diversity of genetic resources compared to its land area. It has about 5700 species of angiosperms and four species of gymnosperms. There are about 86 timber species, 130 species yielding fiber and 29 medicinal plant species available in the country. Bamboo resources of 18 taxa, 9 species of rattan and 12 species of palm are available in the country. However, it must be noted that comprehensive information on forest genetic resource is not available in the country. Information on species diversity in terms of (i) chromosome numbers, (ii) morphological variation, (iii) flowering and seed production habits, (iv) flowering time and nature and (v) seed morphology and viability, etc. are available only for a few agricultural species. Forest's species are neglected in this respect.

Genetic resources play an important role in improving the quality and quantity of forest products. In this respect, forest genetic resources provide the source material for selection of mother trees, provisional plus trees and establishment of seed orchards. It is associated with the conservation of superior genetic materials and their subsequent improvement. Ultimately, the improved materials will be utilized in national programmes to enhance the productivity of forests.

The natural forests of Bangladesh have been seriously degraded, resulting in serious genetic erosion of forest genetic resources. There is a critical need to develop coordinated efforts to conserve and manage forest genetic resources. Effective and hopeful efforts have been developed into conservation activities, but national and international financial and technical assistances are needed to bring about success.

CONFLICT IN SAL FOREST

Sal forest in Bangladesh

The Sal (Shorea robusta) forest of Bangladesh belong under the tropical moist deciduous forest class spread across 120,000 hectares covering areas in Madhupur Garh, Dhaka, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Mymensingh and Rajshahi. This forest constitutes about 10% of the total forest of Bangladesh. The great destruction of the forest was occurred during the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. The natural Sal forests were previously managed under clear-felling followed by coppice regeneration. Government banned the tree felling, and realizing the fact that the forest had been degraded due to excessive clear-felling and coppicing. However, the main cause of depletion of this forest was due to the land clearance for agriculture, and encroachment of forest area. Almost half of the total Sal forest has been already depleted. The remaining patches are in poor condition, degraded and in the process of depletion. Recently, some measures by the Government and also non-governmental organizations were taken to involve the local people and tribal in the forestry activities, i.e., agroforestry and woodlot plantations. Another problem has been found that the people who participated in the plantation and agroforestry programs are not getting their share from the harvesting of the final crops. The antagonistic relationship between the forest department and people is a big obstacle confronting Sal forest management, with conflict existing for some time between the forest department and ethnic communities. Moreover, the anthropogenic impacts on Sal forest have increased rapidly over the last few decades.

Therefore, to protect and conserve the forest, it is badly needed to practice the plantation forestry and agroforestry practices with active participation of the local and tribal people. Moreover, these activities will be helpful to keep intact the Sal forest, and at the same time will improve the socio-economic condition of the forest dependents.

WOMEN’S ROLE IN FBSSEs

Seat

Forest based small-scale enterprises (FBSSEs) represent major source of supplementary income of the rural women of Bangladesh. About 48.9% of the total population is women so without the involvement of women any development activity is impossible. In Bangladesh about 97% of the FBSSEs are located in the rural areas, and women are comprised about 3% of the FBSSEs entrepreneurs. FBSSEs play an important role for improving the living standards of rural women and more than half of the total female workforce of Bangladesh are engaged in making mats from Schumanianthas dichotoma (local name is Patipata), and from other related plant materials like Typa elephantina (local name is Hogla).

FBSSEs products are hand weaved local mats, prayer mats, seats, hand fan, and these products made from patipata, hogla, bamboo and talpata. Raw materials are collected from homesteads, village grooves and other sources. Women were engaged in making local mats, and hand made fans whereas men engaged in the marketing of the products. From the FBSSEs income, women generally keep it to supplement family and to repay the loans taken from Banks and NGOs. About 28% women and 24% men entrepreneur's marginal income range is from 18 USD (1500 BDT) to 25 USD (2000 BDT).

FBSSEs have been accepted as an important income generation source and extension work of the household activities of Bangladeshi rural poor women. Moreover, women empowerment achieved flexibility and also control over their daily livelihood.

ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES RELATING TO CLEAR-FELLING SYSTEM

Clear-felling in natural forest

Clear-felling followed by artificial regeneration is practiced in tropical semi-evergreen hill forests of Bangladesh. After applying this system, the hill forests faced the most common environmental problems such as soil erosion, over exploitation and loss of soil fertility. In the mangrove and bamboo forests, poor water quality and soil erosion are found the severe environmental problems. However, environmental impact assessment experience is limited in Bangladesh, and legislation, and policies are weak. The major environmental issues that prevail in Bangladesh are declining plant and animal varieties, present exploitation levels are not sustainable, productivity is unacceptably low, social equity remains unresolved and absence of effective environment monitoring.

The environment is highly responsive to silvicultural practices done in forest whole over the world. The best applicable silvicultural method may help to mitigate the hazard for the environment. It is badly necessary to find out the long-term effect of clear felling on environment, and it is done with strict supervision and as a continuous basis. Bangladesh has only recently created organized mechanisms for environmental management through the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and the Department of Environment. A major issue is how to build the institutional capacity and how to use existing national-level expertise more in environmental impact assessment, monitoring, and evaluation of the forest sector.

SHIFTING CULTIVATION IN BANGLADESH

Shifting Cultivation

Shifting cultivation, locally known as jhum is a traditional agricultural land use in Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of Bangladesh. This cultivation system practiced by tribal communities and accounts for the major proportion of agricultural land use in this area. About 60,000 families involved in shifting cultivation that covers an area of about 85,000 hectares of the hill forests. Clearing a patch of vegetation, growing varieties of crops in the cleared land for one or two seasons, and then moving to another plot is a major characteristic of this extensive land use system. There are twelve tribal communities and migrated Bengali practices largely wetland farming in available valley land. Traditional shifting cultivation, considered as ecologically and environmentally sustainable land use in mountain areas, is provided subsistence requirements for mountain people for long time. The long fallow period enables regeneration of soils and vegetation quickly and thus soil erosion remains minimal and hydrological balance is maintained. Moreover, cropping diversity under shifting cultivation conserves the land ecologically keeping pace of genetic diversity.

With the growing population, and state control over forest, fallow period has been shortened in most parts of Asia creating serious pressure on shifting cultivation systems, which destabilizes the system. However, shifting cultivation with short fallow accelerates deforestation, soil erosion, soil nutrient depletion and biodiversity degradation. It also adversely affects the physical and chemical properties of soil.

FOREST FIRE IN CHINA

Forest Fire in China

China is a country with serious forest fire, large burn forest area and serious fire loss. According to report of Chinese State Forest Administration, annual average losses due to fires are 900 injuries and 50 deaths per annum. During last 55 decades, it was recorded 13,600 fires and annual average burned areas of 758,000 hm2. China ranks second in the world after Russia according to the occurrence of forest fires (in number) annually. Considering forests burned areas, China’s position is third following the Canada and Russia.

After the heavy fire happened in Daxinganling Mountains in May 1987, that killed 213 persons and burned areas 1330 hm2, fire becomes as one of the essential parts in forestry, also paid much attention all over China in recent years. The fire area yearly is about 0.8% of whole forest area, which is eight times as much as that of the average level of the world.

Most of the forest fires in China are caused by non-productive (e.g., smoking) and productive fire utilization (e.g., field fires for land reclamation), and some are from lightning and other natural disasters, some deliberate fires and unknown reasons. Increase of human population and their activities have resulted in an increase the number of forest fires in China.
The main measures to manage forest fires are to raise awareness through publicity and educational program, manage forest fires by legislation, firefighting team development, actively engage the society in the prevention and management of forest fires, reinforce the infrastructure construction, and management of key fire danger zone.

STOP CARBON EMISSION: PROMISES FIVE COUNTRIES

Natural Forest of Bangladesh

Carbon emission from burning fossil fuel is mainly responsible for recent global warming. Bangladesh, a least developed country where more than 60% people are in village areas, releases a remarkable amount of carbon in daily basis by using cow dung and fuel wood to cook their foods. Carbon emission by burning fuel causes the air pollution inside their houses. Considering the category of air pollution inside the houses, Bangladesh ranking 10th of the world. To overcome carbon emission problem, five countries such as United States, Canada, Mexico, Sweden and Bangladesh agree to work together after constructive discussion in an international conference titled “Air Pollution inside the Houses” held in Bangladesh. As a part of an international cooperation, Sweden agrees to help Bangladesh by financially and it is about 3,955,174 US Dollar. This amount mainly goes for preparing new cooking stoves those can produce less smoke and control air pollution, and distribute to the rural remote areas. Bangladesh is now becoming a most vulnerable country of the world due to climate change and sea level rise. Reduction of carbon emission and increase the forest areas are the best solution to mitigate climate change during the upcoming years. Different countries already take effective initiatives in recent years to reduce carbon emissions where Sweden decided to reduce their carbon emission about 40% within 2030; on the other hand, Australian government imposes high taxes for the carbon emitting industries there. Consequently, Bangladesh creates more attention towards the developed countries for financial and technical supports to control carbon emission and air pollution during the last few decades.

FOREST COVER IN ASIAN REGION

Dipterocarpus turbinatus

In 2010, the World forests cover were estimated 4,033 M ha which distributed in Africa (674 M ha), Asia (593 M ha), Europe (1,005 M ha), America (705 M ha), Oceania (191 M ha) and South America (864 M ha). Extensive forest resources are available in Asian region where forest types mainly are tropical evergreen, semi-evergreen and deciduous suitable for diversified forest ecosystems. Forest coverage according to the total land area in percentage are spreading over South Asia, lower Mekong and insular southeast Asia such as in Bangladesh (2.53 M ha, 17.5%), Bhutan (3.2 M ha, 68%), India (67.7 M ha, 23%), Nepal (3.6 M ha, 25%), Cambodia (10.5 M ha, 60%), Laos (16 M ha, 70%), Thailand (14.5 M ha, 28%), Vietnam (13 M ha, 40%), Indonesia (88.5 M ha, 50%), Papua New Guinea (29.5 M ha, 65%), Philippines (7 M ha, 24%) and Malaysia (21 M ha, 64%). Recently, many countries in that region face severe rates of forest loss and it was over 41 M ha during 1990 to 2005. Since highly deforestation rates in the last few decades, some countries such as China, Cambodia and Thailand were decided to ban commercial logging, and in the mean time some others such as China, India and Vietnam have been increasing their forest cover due to significant reforestation efforts. Reducing deforestation and encouraging afforestation are considered important for both carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation in Asian region.