DIVERSITY IN THE FLORA OF BANGLADESH: A REVIEW. Moniruzzaman Khondker

Transcription

1 DIVERSITY IN THE FLORA OF BANGLADESH: A REVIEW Moniruzzaman Khondker Honorary Professor Department of Botany, University of Dhaka, Dhaka , Bangladesh

2 Bengal Province of British India A history of 200 years of Plant Science Present Bangladesh- a tiny part of erstwhile Bengal Province of British India and Pakistan Floristic work continuation of Historical past 200 years before, rich in dense vegetation but without record

3 1753 Binomial nomenclature by Linnaeus brought revolution 1760 s students of Linnaeus & other Europeans started floristic work in Indian sub-continent 1793 William Roxburgh began floristic work in Bengal Province After which local researchers joined Role of plants in trade, commerce, medicine, etc. made attraction for study

4 William Roxburgh ( ) Scottish surgeon and botanist, worked extensively in India Founding father of Indian Botany

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6 3 distinctive phases of floristic work British period Naturalization of Teak, Cinchona, Mahogoni, etc. popularized Roxburgh s Hortus Bengalensis & Flora indica in 1832 were important - Wonder plant of Burma Amherstia nobilis attracted John Gibson in He sailed from Burma & entered current territory of Bangladesh for investigation

7 Tectona grandis L.f. (Fam. Lamiaceae) Amherstia nobilis Wall. (Fam.: Fabaceae) Pride of Burma

8 - Francis Hamilton, Scottish Surgeon of East India Co. ( ) studied Sundarban & other parts of current Bangladesh publ. Annals of Oriental Literature - William Griffith ( ) publ. Riverine plant of Bangladesh - Joseph Dalton Hooker s Flora of British India ( ), 7 volumes - David Prain Bengal Plants (1903) and Flora of Sundarban (1903a)

9 Department of Biology, Dhaka University formed, Herbarium founded Post British period to Bangladesh ( ) - Datta & Mitra (1953): an account of common plants in and around Dhaka - Sinclair (1955): Flora of Cox s Bazar (coastal city, of Bay of Bengal) - Khan & Aurangzeb (1959): Fam.: Acanthaceae - Hossain (1964): on Compositae - Rahman (1964): on Caesalpiniaceae - Khan and Huda (1970): Euphorbia

10 Bangladesh, Physiography South Asiatic Country, lat. 20º34 N and 26º33 N, long. 88º01 E and 92º41 E, Humid tropical climate A= 147, 570 km 2, Total population: 161 mio, Population density: 1084 ind/ km 2 Major climatic factors, Bangladesh Air temp., annual mean, range: ºC Humidity, average rel., range : % Rainfall, annual total : mm Day length, annual range : h Light values, mid-day, range : µe/m 2 /sec Annual total surface water inflow: 1324 billion m 3

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13 Location Map

14 Adaptive root system of mangrove trees

15 Strands of Nypa fruticans, with clear marks of high and low tide inundation by the sea

16 Adaptive features of breathing roots or pneumatophores

17 Showing excellent relationships between plants and animals

18 Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) from Sundarban

19 A saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) in Sundarbans

20 How the forest look from a distant Tiger Fern

21 Sundarban, the mangrove forests of Bangladesh UNESCO world heritage site. Systematic management started in 1860s. total Area 10,000 sq. km: 6,000 sq. km belongs to Bangladesh, rest goes to West Bengal of India, MSL m, inundated by high and low tides of Bay of Bengal, one of worlds largest continuous block of mangrove forests Total 245 genera and 334 plant species were recorded in 1903 Dominant Tree Heritiera fomes - Excoecaria agallocah - Ceriops decandra - Sonneretia apetala - Xylocarpus granatum - Bruguiera gymnorhiza - Nypa fruticans

22 Swamp (freshwater) Forest of Ratargul (106 spp.), Sylhet, Bangladesh: A= ha Common Plants Pongamia glabra, Barringtonia acutangula, Syzygium fruticosum, Clinogyne dichotoma, Crateva nurvula, Rosa involucrata

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24 Contribution of Bangladesh botanists from 1971 till date Floristic work strengthened, after liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 Professor Salar Khan, Department of Botany, University of Dhaka Bangladesh Agricultural Research Council (BARC, establ. 1973) and Bangladesh National Herbarium (BNH, establ. 1975)

25 Professor Salar Khan, M.Sc. (Alig.), Ph.D. (Edin.), Department of Botany, University of Dhaka Pioneer Plant Taxonomist ( ) Contributed 18 new species of Angiosperms to the Flora of Bangladesh

26 Published Flora of Bangladesh No in between 1972 and 2002 (Prof. Khan expired in 2002)

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28 Later on his pupils continued the activity and completed Flora of Bangladesh No in between 2003 and 2015

29 Altogether 74 families of Angiosperms were covered

30 Besides Prof. Khan also pioneered the Publication of Timber Yielding Plants of Bangladesh (wild and cultivated) in 1986

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40 First Red Data Book Vol. 1 publ. in 2001 followed by Vol. 2 in 2013 by BNH

41 Another Red Data Book was publ. in 2013 from Dept. of Bot. Univ. Chittagong

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44 Source: Rahman (2013)

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46 64 species of mangrove trees, shrubs, herbs were listed, 2001

47 PROJECT TITLED Encyclopedia of Flora and Fauna of Bangladesh by Asiatic Society of Bangladesh Modest venture with some distinctive feature Compilation includes prokaryote, higher plants, animals Species included report from -Present day Bangladesh -Locations that were part of East Pakistan or Lower Bengal of the Indian Subcontinent now part of the territory of Bangladesh

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49 Angiosperms of Bangladesh in Total 7 Volumes (Dicotyledons: Vol. 6-10, Monocotyledons: Vol )

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51 Biodiversity in Bangladesh Gr. Name No. of spp. Gr. Name No. of spp. Bacteria 171 Prot.-Acan Fungi 275 Mollusk 475 BGA 300 Arthropod 2925 Algae 2250 FW-fish 251 Bryophyta 248 Marine fish 426 Pteridophy. 196 Herp.-reptil. 158 Gymnosp. 7 Mammals 112 Angiosp. 3267

52 Updated checklist of Higher Plants of Bangladesh: A Model (could be prepared for 3267 species of Angiosperms)

53 Critically endangered (CR) plant, endemic to Bengal, Corypha taliera (local nametali palm) preliminarily identified by late Prof. Salar Khan in 1950 in a scrub jungle within the Dhaka University campus

54 Panicle initiated ~Sept 18, 2008, plant died Jan 23, 2010 giving ~50 kg mature fruits. Seeds were sown, new plant regenerated and planted in different parts of Bangladesh

55 Aldrovanda vesiculosa, Malacca Jhangi, aquatic, once avail. in Chalan beel, Rajshahi now EN

56 Conservation status: VU

57 Conservation status: CR

58 Conservation status: EN

59 Conservation status: EN

60 Conservation status: VU

61 Conservation status: CR

62 Conclusive remarks Bangladesh has rich history of plant sciences Beset with Mangrove, Sal (Shorea robusta), Mixed Evergreen and Swamp Forests Bulk of the Flora has already been documented Red Data Book updated in 3 volumes A compiled species list from Red Data Books of Bangladesh is available with me Able to contribute Mapping Asia Plants

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64 Thank You