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
A study was conducted from 1998 to 2001 in the Sundarban mangrove forests of
Bangladesh covering three salinity zones to determine the effect of deer (Axis axis) on the
newly recruited seedlings of sundari (Heritiera fames), gewa (Excoecaria agallocha), kankra
(Bruguiera sexangula), passur (Xylocarpus mekongensis), baen (Avicennia officinalis), goran
(Ceriops decandra) and amur(Amoora cucullata) in the fenced and unfenced plots. Tire browsing
effect of deer wasfound to vary from species to species because of differences in palatability.
A significant damage of deer was found in the regenerated seedlings of B. sexangula,
X. mekongensis, A. officinalis and H.fames. No significant effect was found for E. agallocha,
C. decandra and A. cucullata
The Sundarbans of Bangladesh, facing the Bay ofBengal, is the largestsingle tract
mangrove forest of the world. This natural forest has three watersalinity zonessuch as
less saline zone, moderate saline zone and strong saline zone. Golpata (Nypafruticans),
a palm species, grows naturally in patches along the stable banks of the rivers in larger
proportionsin the lesssaline zone of the Sundarbans. Thisspecies has been widely used
by the people of the entire south-western part of the country for thatching dwelling
houses. Experimental plantations of this species were established in the newly
accreted lands along the banks of the rivers in three salinity zones of the Sundarbans to
study itssurvival and growth. Fourmonths old seedlingsraised in the nurserybed were
used. Data on survival and plant growth (average leaf length and leaf number) were
collected after every three months for a period of 30 months. The highest survival
(65.35%) and plant growth (leaf length 290.67 cm and leaf number 6.80) were observed
in the less saline zone and the lowest survival (11.54%) and plant growth (leaf length
74.01 cm and leaf number 4.62) in the strong saline zone. The study shows that though
golpata can be grown successfully in the lesssaline and moderate saline zones, it grows
betterin the lesssaline zone of the Sundarbans. However, golpata shouldnotbe planted
in an area where heavy siltation occurs.
Welcome to the Bangladesh Journal of Forest Science (BJFS) – a leading platform for advancing the knowledge and understanding of forest science in Bangladesh and beyond. Established with a commitment to excellence, BJFS serves as a cornerstone for researchers, practitioners, and enthusiasts dedicated to the sustainable management and conservation of forest ecosystems.
