The hill forests are the most important watershed areas of the country and are composed of tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests. Government management of these forests began in the 1870s under a system of selection felling and natural regeneration. Subsequently, in the 1930s a system of clear felling followed by artificial regeneration or plantation appeared, while a system of selection-cum-improvement felling continued. The prescriptions for plantations included a specification to establish natural regeneration plots of six to ten meters wide around every 40 hectare plantations.
During the second World War, these forests were heavily exploited and increased exploitation continued after independence in 1947 to meet the rising demand of forest products. Subsequent management practice raised long and short rotation plantation on a large scale, and abandoned the natural regeneration plots. Delays in revision/reformulation of management plans (working plans) occurred, and the need for ensuring timber requirements of industries and regulating the area of annual plantations resulted in ad hoc treatment. Yield regulation by area was changed to one of predetermined volume. This led to larger felling areas and consequently a larger plantation programme. Logging operations in the hill forests are partly by mechanized and partly manual methods. A 1982 review of logging operations recorded a huge wastage of wood as mechanized logging residues.
The decision for large scale conversion of tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests of high biological diversity in the hill areas relies on the rationale that forest protection and plantations produce better and higher yields. Sustained principles of forest management were not applied in practice and adequate information to establish annual allowable cuts does not exist. The improper and wasteful management of the hill forests thus lead to the eventual imposition of a government moratorium on all logging in natural forests in 1989.
At present, the sal forests are largely composed of two remnant tracts. First, some 105,000 hectares in the districts of Tangail and Mymensigh, and second, the Barind tract, covering scattered patches of some 14,000 hectares in the north-west districts. Unlike the other areas under the control of the Forest Department, these areas are not forest reserves or put under government management for long periods, since nationalized in the 1950s.
Sal forests occur naturally in the central and northern parts of Bangladesh. Formerly these forests belonged to feudal land lords before BFD gradually assumed some responsibility for their management before nationalization. The silvicultural prescriptions included: clear felling with regeneration mostly from coppice; simple coppice and coppice with standards on a rotation of about 20 years. Thinning occurred on a 10-year cycle to improve the existing crop, based on a rotation of 100 years; and afforestation of blanks operated under a taungya system. None of these practices sustained the forests and they continued to deplete in size and stocking.
Sal Forest Cutting Moratorium In spite of a 1972 moratorium on the area, encroachments and illicit felling/smuggling continued. Most parts of the recorded area of sal forests are under occupation and the remaining stands of sal have poor stock and quality. The notified sal forest area is honeycombed with habitation and rice fields. In some cases more than three quarters of the area is encroached, or abandoned due to heavy degradation. |
A large population of the area, with its increasing need for forest products, building materials and fuelwood, cultivable land, employment opportunities and income, will continue to exert heavy pressure on the remaining forest area. A recent study found that the land in the remnant sal forests is not suitable for permanent agriculture in most cases, without irrigation, and if sal stands are afforded adequate protection and tending, they respond well. If forestry is to remain here, it is necessary to manage the area under a system of integrated land use.
As recently as 2000 years ago, the Sundarbans extended farther inland, including much of Khulna region, and formed a continuous coastal forest eastwards to the Chokoria Sundarbans. The Sundarbans were declared as a Reserved Forest in 1879. Since then it has been directly administrated and managed by the Forest Department. Early management consisted of revenue collection on forest produce from the area. A selection system of silvicultural management with an exploitable girth limit for the main species and a felling cycle of 40 years prevailed. Subsequently, plans reduced the felling cycle to 20 years. Following the Khulna Newsprint Mills Ltd. (KNM) construction in 1959, and other Khulna-based forest industries, the forest management intensity increased.
Sundarbans, A unique Forest Exclusively mangroves, this forest, is an important natural resource providing a large number of products such as timber, pulpwood, fuelwood, fish, thatching materials, hone, bees wax and shells. In addition it supports a very rich and diverse flora and fauna. It is the largest remaining habitat for the Royal Bengal Tiger. Some 600,000 people are directly dependant on this forest for their livelihood. In addition, the mangrove forest acts as a natural barrier to cyclones and tidal bores, and protects the densely populated agricultural areas to its north. |
A substantial area in the Sundarbans supports KNM. Out of eight blocks, six are for extraction of pulpwood. The Sundarbans forest is managed under a selection system, but all age gradations of trees are not available due to improper marking and inadequate regeneration. Besides, improvement felling is low and growth less than predicted. Fuelwood and golpatta palm leaves exploitation takes place on the basis of collection permits and for this purpose, the Sundarbans consist of a number of annual cutting areas.
