A Half-yearly Peer Reviewed Journal of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute
During February, 1987 a sample survey was conducted on the intensity of browsing damage by deer in a mixed plantation of 1985 under Kaptai Pulpwood Division, Chittagong Hill Tracts. A systematic strip sampling method was used for the survey. The percentages of browsed and unbrowsed plants were estimated for all the species. The estimates revealed that the plantation was almost a failure due to browsing damage by deer and early mortality of the seedlings and some other causes which could not be identified. It was found that an average of 4% plants were browsed by deer, 2% were left unbrowsed and 94% could not be traced in the plantation.
During August, 1990 a remeasurement made on the area revealed that a good plantation could be established there by proper management at the early stage, such as, controlling the weeds like sungrass, etc. The browsing damage of the seedlings can perhaps be controlled by proper selection of species. The subsequent replantings of the area by some other species not browsed by deer now show an average of 60% survival of the seedlings planted.