Sporadic mortality of Sundri (Heritiera fames Roxb.) due to unknown causes was mentioned in the working plan of Sunderbans in 1931 by S. I. Curtis. But the mortality was not pronounced due to removal of Sundri along with firewood by permit holders. After 1971 working was closed for a few years and as such accumulation of dying Sundri in large number attracted the attention of the foresters (Sattar 1977). The total timber loss due to
mortality of Sundri was found to be 1.44 million cubic metres and the total financial loss on the basis of valuation of 1976 was Tk. 2000 million (Shafi 1982).

During data collection for preparation of volume functions for
high forest species at Cox’s Bazar Forest Division, some photographs
of wood stacks were taken in order to find a relationship of stacked
volume versus solid wood volume. The stacks were composed of
round woods of varying sizes. The photographs in black and white
were taken from three places of Cox’s Bazar Forest Division.

Bandarhola (Duabanga sonneratioides) heartwood was treated with 40 : 60 creosote petroleum oil mixture by the Lowry empty cell process using different schedules and the effects of varying pressure, treating time and final vacuum period on penetration and absorption were studied. This species, inspite of presence of tyloses in the vessels, was highly permeable to the preservative mostly along the grain. Transverse penetration from the surface was, however, low. The reason for higher permeability along the grain is attributed to the presence of numerous intervessel pits with perforated pit membranes. Increasing pressure and treating time increased penetration and absorption. At 82°C preservative temperature, saturation in absorption was reached in about 120 minutes. Final vacuum recovered about 25 per cent of the absorbed preservative, leaving the rest in the wood as net retention.

Regenerative potentials and mortality of one year and two year old culms of Bambusa balcooa and B. vulgaris were studied. One year old culms of both the species were found to be significantly superior stock for the production of new culms. Mortality of new culms from two-year old parents was higher. One-year old healthy culms were found to produce significantly higher number of new culms than that from partly blighted one-year old culms of both the species.

Mortality was observed to be significant in August, the damage having its maximum effect by November. All the new culms which remained in the 0.4 m (or less) height category were dead by September/October while culms in the 5 m (or less) and 12 m (or less) height categories sufferred from blight about 17+10 and 7+5 per cent of culm heights respectively.

pH of soils of bamboo clumps were not associated with the severity of blight prevalent in the clumps. Carbon and nitrogen level in all height categories were comparable in case of both healthy and blighted culms, indicating absence of association of these factors with the blighted condition.

Teak (Tectona grandis) wood in solid form was investigated on its steam bending properties. The effect of four levels of moisture content and also the effect of four steaming periods were evaluated. Both the moisture content and steaming period were found to influence the bending properties significantly. A 30-minute steaming has been found adequate for satisfactory bending of 1.27 cm thick wood. At 60-minute steaming the wood was sufficiently plasticized to enable it to be bent at a sharp angle.