Browsing by Author "Rahman, Mohammad Ataur"

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ADAPTATION MECHANISMS OF PLANTS OF DECIDUOUS SAL AND EVERGREEN HILL FOREST STANDS IN BANGLADESH
(©University of Dhaka, 2024-04-22) Rahman, Mohammad Ataur
Forests are fundamental sources of biological diversity and play important role in constituting terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. Plants, which are important for primary production, govern the structure of forest ecosystems. They play immense role in conserving biodiversity, ecosystem stability, natural resource sustainability, climate regulation, hydrologic cycling as well as providing habitat for plants and animals. Understanding the structure of vegetation and adaption mechanisms of forest plants is important for better management and conservation of forest ecosystems. In plant ecology, recent studies on the adaptation of plants to drought condition through changes in their leaf characteristics have received considerable interests although less is known about how tropical deciduous and evergreen forest plants adapt with their environment. The specific objectives of this study, therefore, were to (1) compare the vegetation structure (diversity and composition) of the selected study areas of Madhupur Sal forest and the Sitakunda Ecopark, (2) examine the relationships of plant vegetation structure with the soil properties of the study areas and (3) investigate the leaf morphological, physiological, and anatomical traits in relation to environmental variables such as soil properties and climatic factors to reveal the underlying adaption mechanisms of deciduous and evergreen forest plants. To study the vegetation of the two forests, a nested design with quadrats of 10 m × 10 m, 5 m x 5 m, and 1 m x 1 m was chosen. A total of 72 quadrats were studied, with 12 for each of the three different habits (herbs, shrubs and trees) under two different forest types. Soil samples were taken from 0-10 cm depth in the center of the quadrats for the analysis of physico-chemical properties. In three consecutive years 2017, 2018 and 2019, leaves were sampled from three individual plants for each of the 5 selected plant species from each forest types during summer (June) and winter (December). A total of 22 leaf parameters (8 morphological, 4 physiological, and 10 anatomical) were investigated and the results were averaged across three years to provide mean values for each season. Data revealed that the composition of herbs, shrubs and tree species differed between two forests. Difference in dominant and rare species between two forest types was revealed by the Importance Value Index. Madhupur Sal forest showed a significantly (P = 0.05) higher number of species (15.5) per quadrat than Sitakunda Ecopark (13.33). The 'productivity versus diversity' hypothesis was tested by regression analysis, which revealed significant negative correlations of tree (R2 = 0.29, P = 0.02) and shrub (R2 = 0.18, P = 0.05) species richness with soil P content across forest types. Plant density had a significant negative correlation (R2 = 0.39, P = 0.03) with plant DBH (diameter at breast height) in the Madhupur Sal Forest, indicating a negative interaction between plant growth and density, though this relationship was stronger in Madhupur Sal Forest than in the Sitakunda Ecopark. Based on both physical and chemical properties of soil, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that the two forests were separated from one another. Based on the species score, Non-Metric Dimensional Scaling (NMDS) analysis revealed that plots of the two selected forests were divided into two groups, with the Madhupur Sal forest being characterized by highly dominant species of Shorea robusta, Grewia nervosa, Mallotus philipensis, Glycosmis pentaphylla, Adina cordifolia, Litsea glutinosa, Antidesma acidum and Ficus hispida and that of the Sitakunda Ecopark was characterized by that of Castenopsis tribuloides, Erioglossum rubiginosum, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Phyllanthus emblica, Streblus asper and Suregada multiflora. Data also revealed that soil factors such as P (R2 = 0.53, P = 0.01), K (R2 = 0.27, P = 0.01), available N (R2 = 0.42, P = 0.01), C (R2 = 0.28, P = 0.01), clay (R2 = 0.28, P = 0.01), and sand (R2 = 0.25, P = 0.01) were significantly correlated with NMDS axes, implying that soil properties played role in structuring forest vegetation. In both seasons, nested ANOVA statistics demonstrated that forest types had stronger influence on the majority of leaf functional attributes than species identity, indicating the importance of forest types in understanding forest plant adaptation to drought conditions. The Madhupur Sal forest had significantly larger leaf fresh weight, leaf turgid weight, leaf area, specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content. The Sitakunda Ecopark had higher leaf water content, chlorophyll content, and stomatal density. All of these changes in leaf attributes between these two forest types followed similar patterns throughout the summer and winter seasons demonstrating that the functional types had a considerable influence on plant leaf traits. Leaf morpho-physiological properties, which indicate leaf economic traits, were used to differentiate the Madhupur Sal Forest from Sitakunda Ecopark between seasons using PCA based on the correlations between the leaf traits of the two forests plants. Madhupur Sal forest had much higher leaf dry matter content, leaf fresh weight, and leaf turgid weight content than Sitakunda Ecopark implying that the plants in this forest were more water-use efficient than that in Sitakunda Ecopark. Plants in Madhupur Sal forests had a higher specific leaf area than those in Sitakunda Ecopark suggesting that they compensated for the loss of photosynthetic product due to leaf fall during the winter by increasing the specific leaf area to improve photosynthetic potential for the rest of the year. Despite having higher chlorophyll content than deciduous plants in Madhupur forests, higher stomatal pore index values and open stomata might be responsible for greater transpiration and water loss in plants of Sitakunda Ecopark. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrated that soil conditions played a significant role on the diversity of plant species and vegetation composition in the Madhupur Sal Forest and the Sitakunda Ecopark. Data also revealed that plants in the Madhupur Sal Forest and Sitakunda Ecopark responded to drought stress by using avoidance and tolerance strategies, respectively.
ADAPTATION MECHANISMS OF PLANTS OF DECIDUOUS SAL AND EVERGREEN HILL FOREST STANDS IN BANGLADESH
(©University of Dhaka, 2024-04-21) Rahman, Mohammad Ataur
Forests are fundamental sources of biological diversity and play important role in constituting terrestrial ecosystem on Earth. Plants, which are important for primary production, govern the structure of forest ecosystems. They play immense role in conserving biodiversity, ecosystem stability, natural resource sustainability, climate regulation, hydrologic cycling as well as providing habitat for plants and animals. Understanding the structure of vegetation and adaption mechanisms of forest plants is important for better management and conservation of forest ecosystems. In plant ecology, recent studies on the adaptation of plants to drought condition through changes in their leaf characteristics have received considerable interests although less is known about how tropical deciduous and evergreen forest plants adapt with their environment. The specific objectives of this study, therefore, were to (1) compare the vegetation structure (diversity and composition) of the selected study areas of Madhupur Sal forest and the Sitakunda Ecopark, (2) examine the relationships of plant vegetation structure with the soil properties of the study areas and (3) investigate the leaf morphological, physiological, and anatomical traits in relation to environmental variables such as soil properties and climatic factors to reveal the underlying adaption mechanisms of deciduous and evergreen forest plants. To study the vegetation of the two forests, a nested design with quadrats of 10 m × 10 m, 5 m x 5 m, and 1 m x 1 m was chosen. A total of 72 quadrats were studied, with 12 for each of the three different habits (herbs, shrubs and trees) under two different forest types. Soil samples were taken from 0-10 cm depth in the center of the quadrats for the analysis of physico-chemical properties. In three consecutive years 2017, 2018 and 2019, leaves were sampled from three individual plants for each of the 5 selected plant species from each forest types during summer (June) and winter (December). A total of 22 leaf parameters (8 morphological, 4 physiological, and 10 anatomical) were investigated and the results were averaged across three years to provide mean values for each season. Data revealed that the composition of herbs, shrubs and tree species differed between two forests. Difference in dominant and rare species between two forest types was revealed by the Importance Value Index. Madhupur Sal forest showed a significantly (P = 0.05) higher number of species (15.5) per quadrat than Sitakunda Ecopark (13.33). The 'productivity versus diversity' hypothesis was tested by regression analysis, which revealed significant negative correlations of tree (R2 = 0.29, P = 0.02) and shrub (R2 = 0.18, P = 0.05) species richness with soil P content across forest types. Plant density had a significant negative correlation (R2 = 0.39, P = 0.03) with plant DBH (diameter at breast height) in the Madhupur Sal Forest, indicating a negative interaction between plant growth and density, though this relationship was stronger in Madhupur Sal Forest than in the Sitakunda Ecopark. Based on both physical and chemical properties of soil, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that the two forests were separated from one another. Based on the species score, Non-Metric Dimensional Scaling (NMDS) analysis revealed that plots of the two selected forests were divided into two groups, with the Madhupur Sal forest being characterized by highly dominant species of Shorea robusta, Grewia nervosa, Mallotus philipensis, Glycosmis pentaphylla, Adina cordifolia, Litsea glutinosa, Antidesma acidum and Ficus hispida and that of the Sitakunda Ecopark was characterized by that of Castenopsis tribuloides, Erioglossum rubiginosum, Holarrhena antidysenterica, Phyllanthus emblica, Streblus asper and Suregada multiflora. Data also revealed that soil factors such as P (R2 = 0.53, P = 0.01), K (R2 = 0.27, P = 0.01), available N (R2 = 0.42, P = 0.01), C (R2 = 0.28, P = 0.01), clay (R2 = 0.28, P = 0.01), and sand (R2 = 0.25, P = 0.01) were significantly correlated with NMDS axes, implying that soil properties played role in structuring forest vegetation. In both seasons, nested ANOVA statistics demonstrated that forest types had stronger influence on the majority of leaf functional attributes than species identity, indicating the importance of forest types in understanding forest plant adaptation to drought conditions. The Madhupur Sal forest had significantly larger leaf fresh weight, leaf turgid weight, leaf area, specific leaf area and leaf dry matter content. The Sitakunda Ecopark had higher leaf water content, chlorophyll content, and stomatal density. All of these changes in leaf attributes between these two forest types followed similar patterns throughout the summer and winter seasons demonstrating that the functional types had a considerable influence on plant leaf traits. Leaf morpho-physiological properties, which indicate leaf economic traits, were used to differentiate the Madhupur Sal Forest from Sitakunda Ecopark between seasons using PCA based on the correlations between the leaf traits of the two forests plants. Madhupur Sal forest had much higher leaf dry matter content, leaf fresh weight, and leaf turgid weight content than Sitakunda Ecopark implying that the plants in this forest were more water-use efficient than that in Sitakunda Ecopark. Plants in Madhupur Sal forests had a higher specific leaf area than those in Sitakunda Ecopark suggesting that they compensated for the loss of photosynthetic product due to leaf fall during the winter by increasing the specific leaf area to improve photosynthetic potential for the rest of the year. Despite having higher chlorophyll content than deciduous plants in Madhupur forests, higher stomatal pore index values and open stomata might be responsible for greater transpiration and water loss in plants of Sitakunda Ecopark. Overall, the findings of this study demonstrated that soil conditions played a significant role on the diversity of plant species and vegetation composition in the Madhupur Sal Forest and the Sitakunda Ecopark. Data also revealed that plants in the Madhupur Sal Forest and Sitakunda Ecopark responded to drought stress by using avoidance and tolerance strategies, respectively.
Effect of Micronutrients on Incidence, Damage Severity of Sucking Insect Pests of Sunflower and its Impact on Yield and other Arthropods
(Asian Research Journal of Agriculture, 2024-07) Akter, Tahmina; Ferdous, Khaled; Sohel, Md. Mahmudul Hasan; Rahman, Mohammad Ataur
An experiment was conducted in a field on 23074/N latitude and 90035/E longitude at the central farm of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Dhaka, Bangladesh from November 2021 to April 2022. The experiment of eight treatments as follows: T1 = Urea @ 210 gm/plot + TSP @ 84gm/plot + MoP @ 98gm/plot [recommended doses (RD) of Urea, TSP and MoP] +Boron @ 7.0 gm/ Plot+ ZnSo4 @ 8.4 gm/ Plot ;T2 = RD of Urea, TSP and MoP +Spraying 0.2% Borax @ 2gm/ L of water; T3= RD of Urea, TSP and MoP +Spraying 0.2% ZnSo4 @ 2gm/ L of water; T4= RD of Urea, TSP and MoP +Spraying 0.5% Borax @ 5gm/ L of water; T5RD of Urea,TSP and MoP +Spraying 0.2% Borax + 0.2% ZnSo4 @ 2gm/ L of water; T6 = Urea @ 210 gm/plot+ TSP @ 180 gm/plot+ MoP @ 150gm/plot + Spraying 0.5% ZnSo4 @ 5gm/ L of water; T7 = Urea @ 210 gm/plot+ TSP @ 180gm/plot+ MoP @ 150gm/plot+ MgSo4 @ 12 gm/ Plot and T8= control. The experiment was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with 8 treatments and 3 replications. The overall result indicates that the combination of different micronutrientsdecreased the incidence of sucking insect pests of sunflower and increased the abundance of beneficial arthropods compared to T8treatment. In T1treatment, the lowest leaf infestation percentage caused by aphid 17.49 and 19.50 %; Jassid 14.19 and 14.89 % and White fly 26.18 and 30.83 % at the vegetative and reproductive stages respectively. The highest number of beneficial arthropods per plot of lady bird beetle both adults and grubs ((3.63 and 5.53 respectively); honey bee (22.36), ant (3.55), spider (1.42) was also recorded in T1treatment. The highest yield contributing characters of sunflower, the highest of head/ capitulam diameter (9.75cm), height of plant per plot (179.73 cm), leaf width (14.24 cm), leaf length (21.05 cm), area of leaves per plant (62.29 cm) and number of leaf per plant (21.93), number of total head per plot (29.83), number of seed per head (725.56), weight of single seed (1.03 mg), and weight of seed per head (54.96 gm) of sunflower were observed in T1treatment which was statistically different from among all other treatments. The highestsunfloweryield (1.92 kg /plot) and oil content (0.93 liter/2kg and 46.5%) were also observed from T1 treatment. Among the different micronutrient treatment combinations, different micronutrients using in T1 treatment were more effective for the reducing the incidence of sucking insect pests on sunflower. In the term of effect of micronutrients, T1= Recommended doses of Urea, TSP and MoP + Boron @ 7.0 gm/ Plot+ ZnSo4 @ 8.4 gm/ Plot; was an eco-friendly pest management practice for sunflowerby which one can significantly reduce pest infestation without use of any chemical insecticides.
Fertilizer management practices in potato cultivation: a baseline study for the introduction of GE potato in Bangladesh
(frontiers, 2024-07-12) Nahiyan, Abu Shamim Mohammad; Islam, Saiful; Islam, Aparna; Rahman, Mohammad Ataur; Hasan, Mohammad Mahmood; Eusufzai, Tasnin Khan; Afreen, Mohsina; Ansarey, Fareyzul Haque; Khan, Tahmina; Uddin, A. F. M. Jamal
Genetically engineered (GE) crops have the potential to contribute to agricultural sustainability, food security, and nutritional enrichment. However, these crops cannot be released for commercial cultivation without undergoing environmental risk assessments (ERA), thus biosafety evaluation. ERA assessments are performed comparatively with their natural non-GE counterparts. As Bangladesh is progressing with GE potato research, the present study aims to collect baseline information on non-GE potato cultivation with an emphasis on current agronomic practices focusing on fertilizer management and farmers’ knowledge base. The survey had three parts, including information on the farmers, information on potato cultivation practices, especially fertilizer use, and lastly, the farmer’s view on GE potato. From 2020 to 2021, data were collected through interviews with experienced growers in four potato-growing regions, the Central and Mid-East, North-West, Mid-West, and South-East regions (n = 1757) of the country. The study revealed that farmers of all regions used more than the recommended amounts of fertilizer; for instance, 67.1% more nitrogen fertilizer was applied as an extra dose during potato cultivation in Munshiganj (Central and Mid-East) than in the Dinajpur region (North-West). This overuse of nitrogen fertilizer can enhance plant vigor but makes the plants more susceptible to insect attraction and allows pests easier access to the plants. As a result, the excess dose of nitrogen fertilizer in Munshiganj may act as a catalyst to increase the probability of late blight. The ﬁndings also showed that 73.6% of farmers observed unexpected ﬂowering in certain potato cultivars, which corresponded to the higher application of phosphate and potassium fertilizers aimed at late blight control. Furthermore, this study reported infestations of Solanaceous weeds, speciﬁcally Solanum torvum and Physalis heterophylla, in potato ﬁelds. Finally, our ﬁndings demonstrated that more than 68.7% of the potato growers intend to adopt diseaseresistant GE potato as that may reduce the need for excess fertilizer use and thus reduce cultivation costs.
Field Study About Heavy Fuel Oil Based Power Plant Electricity Generation Process
(Daffodil International University, 2020-01-19) Rahman, Mohammad Ataur; Arifuzzaman, Md
We got an opportunity to complete our field study at Summit Narayanganj Power Unit 2 Limited Our internship started on 6 October 2019 and ended on 5 December 2019. We got practical knowledge about power plants and observed the operating system of power plants. There we also got the knowledge of power distribution and maintenance of that plant. Protection and controlling of the equipment of the power station are a very important and complicated task. With the help of the plant engineers, we observed the control room and protective equipment such as relays, circuit breakers, rectifiers, battery houses, etc. very closely, understood the functions, and controlling the system of that equipment. In addition, we gathered practical experience about different major components of power station such as diesel engine, alternator operation and control unit, and maintenance procedures of the plants. We gathered practical knowledge about different types of equipment used in the substation of the plant such as power transformers, bus bars, and substation protection systems.
The planning of housing in rural Bangladesh
(BRAC University, 2008-06) Rahman, Mohammad Ataur; Haq, Dr. M. Emdadul
Being an agro based deltaic country, Bangladesh is one of the most land-scarce countries in the world. Though the National Land Utilization Policy has emphasized `family based land ceiling for rural housing' and rural model house building, but there is virtually no land-use plan for the rural areas that comprises about 85%0 of the total land area. The present facilities in respect of physical infrastructure, housing, water supply, sanitation, etc., are very inadequate. Housing shortage in the country in 1991 was estimated to be 3.1 million units, out of which 2.15 million units were in the rural areas (Housing Census 1991, BBS). Unplanned rural housing is a major problem area in our national life. Although the government has implemented a few sporadic rural housing projects viz. cluster/ ideal village projects etc. in the rural areas; those are very meager as compared to the needs of the vast majority of rural people. On the other hand, the Grameen Bank and few NGOs are providing loans for rural house building that has opened a new area in the field of rural housing of Bangladesh. Nevertheless, they are only able to serve a limited number of the rural population. Formulation of a proper institutional and legal framework for actively participating in rural housing, which has been included in the National Housing Policy, is still not being implemented. The study is conducted to analyze the present housing condition and pattern in rural Bangladesh and to identify the trend of shrinking cultivable land through horizontal expansion of housing. The investigation also covers the importance of the land zoning system to overcome the challenge of decent housing as well as food security for the booming population. The study argues that for proper land utilization the government could introduce a land management act with a land zoning system and a ceiling for housing in rural Bangladesh, as well as strengthen the housing facilities for disadvantaged people in a planned way. The study tries to find alternative ways of rural housing like Compact Township (CT)/ Community Housing with basic infrastructural facilities and utmost utilization of land.