BANGLADESH JOURNAL OF FOREST SCIENCE
A Half-yearly Peer Reviewed Journal of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute
A Half-yearly Peer Reviewed Journal of Bangladesh Forest Research Institute
The bagworm, Cryptothelea crameri Westwood (Psychidae : Lepidoptera) is an
important pest of many ornamental, horticultural and forest plants in Bangladesh. The
larva feeds on young leaves and tender bark by making and living within a portable bag
of leaves, twigs, barks, spines, etc. The biology, host range, number of generations, and
seasonal abundance of the pest have been dealt with in this paper. Brachymeria sp.
(Braconidae: Hymenoptera) wasfound to parasitize its larva. The pestcould be collected
and destroyed by hand. It could also be controlled by the foliar application ofmalathion
(Malathion 57 EC) at 0.1% concentration.
The paper describes the fibre length and ray height of the five tree species,
namely Calophyllum polyanthum Wall., Garcinia cowa Roxb., G. xanthochymus
Hook., Kayeafloribimda Wall, and Mesuaferrea Linn, of the family Guttiferae. In
G. cozva and G. xanthochymusthe fibre length and ray height are higher and longer
than those of the other species. These two microscopic features work as good
characters in delimitating the species of Guttiferae. There is a progressive trend
of increase of fibre length and ray height from near pith to sapwood for all the
species
This paper gives an overview on the initial growth performance ofmahogany
(Swietenia macrophylla King) planted in Chittagong city areas of Bangladesh. A guide
equationwas derived with logarithm to the base e of dominant height as a dependent
variable and reciprocal power of age as an independent variable. The growth
characteristics were estimated by regression techniques based on statistical and
biological criteria. The paper presents the growth statistics ofstand diameter atbreast
height, stand mean height, stand dominant height and basal area per hectare. The
selected models could be used to estimate the growth parameters in the plantations
with 9.0 m to 21.0 m dominant height at the age of 12 years.
Antheraea paphia Linn. (Saturniidae :
Lepidoptera) is a wild silkworm that gives us
tassar silk of commerce. The dark buff-coloured
silk is coarse and very strong, but of inferior
quality a,s compared to that obtained from the
domesticated silkworm, Bonibyx niori. This wild
insect is not domesticated, and cannot be reared in
confinement on a commercial basis.
In 1999, some trees of a 3-year old telsur
(Hopea odorata Roxb.) plantation in the campus of
the Bangladesh Forest Research Institute,
Chittagong were found infested by a group of
wild silkworm. The larvae were found feeding on
the tender foliage of the upper canopy of the trees
and were kept under observation. They were pale
green with a yellow line at each side and rather
bulky, distinctly segmented and smooth-bodied
except for rows of ornamental metallic spotsand
tubercles bearing clusters of short spines (Fig. 1).
The full-grown larvae were about 10 cm long.
Pupation occurred in oval cocoons with a compact
surface (Fig. 2). The cocoons were formed in rolled
leaves orsuspended by a thick silken cord from a
twig. The cocoons were collected and reared to
adults which were identified as Antheraea paphia
Linn. (Saturniidae : Lepidoptera). The adult
female is a broad-winged moth with a wing-span
of about 12 cm. It is bright yellow with a circular
semi-transparent area or ‘eye’ on each wing
(Fig- 3)-
The paper presents the leaf epidermal micromorphology of 26 bamboo
species under seven genera occurring in Bangladesh both in wild and under
cultivation. The results are presented in a tabular form. The findings indicate
that micromorphological features of abaxial leaf epidermis work as taxonomic
characters at species level. The paper also provides a dichotomous key to
identify bamboo species occurring in Bangladesh based on leaf epidermal
characters
Teli garjan (Dipterocarpus turbinatus) is the most important indigenous
species included for long term plantation programme in Bangladesh. Site indices
models have been derived for the species in the plantations of Bangladesh. The
selected models derived in the study could be satisfactorily used for teli garjan
plantations having ages 3-60 years and site indices of 25-55 metres based on a base
age or rotation of 45 years.
A study was conducted with 15 lesser used/unused medium density
(0.52-0.68) wood species of Bangladesh to determine their hardboard making
characteristics. The species tested were barta (Artocarpus lakoocha), chalta (Dillenia
iiidica), dakroom (Mitragyna rotundifalia), gab (Diospyros peregrine), hargaza (Dillenia
pcntagynn), jhumka bhadi (Engelhardtia spicata), kamdev (Calophyllum polyanthum),
kao (Garcinia cowa), kasturi (Cinnamomum cecidodaphne), kerung (Pongamia pinnata),
moos (Pterospernium acerifolium), pairag (Canarium risiiiiferum), rata (Aphanamixis
polystachya), tali (Palagttiuni polyanthum) and uriam (Mangifera sylvatica). It wasfound
that all the species except barta, kasturi and uriam produced good or even better
quality hardboard than that ofsundri (Heritierafames) a widely used wood species in
Khulna Hardboard Mills
In 1990, a serious root rot disease was
observed in different strip plantations of Court
Chandpur-Subdalpur railroad, Jessore-Benapole
highway and Jessore-Satkhira road of greater
Jessore district. These plantations were covered
with trees such as Cassia siamea, Acacia
auriculiformis, A. nilotica, Albizia procera, Leucena
leucocephala and Dalbergia sissoo. The affected trees
died in patches showing wilting symptoms. C.
siamea, A. auriculiformis and A. procera were
affected most, whereas A. nilotica, L. leucocephala
and D. sissoo were least affected. The leaves of the
diseased trees became brown, dried up and
remained attached to the dead branches. After
excavation of roots, whitish mats of mycelia were
observed on the branch and anchor roots of the
trees. Typical fruit bodies were seen on the collar
region, exposed roots and on Clerodendruni
viscosum and Glycosmispentaphylla situated at the
vicinity of the infected trees (Figs. 1 and 2). The
bark of roots were rotted and, in most cases, the
rotting was extended up to the collar region. The
fungus responsible for the disease was isolated
and identified as Fames lignosus (Klotzsch) Bres.
Heavily infected trees were removed from the
sites. Basal area covering one metre radius of each
diseased tree was drenched with 2% commercial
formalin. The second spray was given 15 days
after the first. The sprays, however, could notsave
the diseased trees butfurtherspread ofthe disease
symptom was checked
This paper reports the distribution, nature and impact of damage, life
history, number of generations in a year, host records and biocontrol agents of
the beehole borer, Zenzera conferta Walker (Cossidae : Lepidoptera) infesting
keora (Sonneratia apetala Buch.-Ham.) plantations along the coastal belt of
Bangladesh. The pest profusely tunnels in the stem rendering the tree to wind
breakage. It probably completes two generations in a year. Besides keora, the
pest attacks Sonneratia caseolaris, Avicennia officinalis, A. alba and Tamanx indica.
Woodpeckers (Dinopium benghalense and Picoides canicapilltis) and a small black
ant were found to feed on the larvae and pupae of the pest.
Teli garjan (Dipterocarpus turbinatus), dhakijam (Sygyzium grande) and teak (Tectona
grandis) are the three most important timber species included in the plantation
programme in Bangladesh. Sometimes, trees are being removed without recording
the diameter at breast height (dbh) and total height. As such it is not possible to
estimate the volumes of the removed trees. But, it is necessary to have an estimate of
volumes of the removed trees for different purposes. The stump diameters can be
measured while the stumps are still there after removal of the trees. Therefore, stump
diameter and dbh relationships have been established in the present paper so that we
can estimate the dbh of removed trees first followed by estimation of the volumes
using the.dbh volume relationships. It was identified that some mistakes were done
in converting the previously selected imperial volume equations to metric units for the
species teli garjan and dhakijam. These equations and tables have also been corrected.
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