Spatial Distribution of Gmelina Arborea in Bangladesh : A Comparison between Climate Requirements and Dendro-Ecological Records

Research paper from the year 2015 in the subject Forestry / Forestry Economics, grade: 1, , course: Forestry, language: English, abstract: Depending on which factors control spatial distribution of forest tree species, climate and edaphic are the two most scheming one those act together to locate tree species diversity. Species spatial arrangements determined by these two factors plotted in a Geographic Information System (GIS) showed relevance with what dendro-ecological studies marked for major forest tree species. As forest tree species has very close correlation with climate factors in their distribution and growth, methodological approach regarding using these two factors applied on a native tree species of Bangladesh: Gmelina arborea Roxb. Studied species is a promising one growing naturally in evergreen and deciduous forests of Bangladesh. Not only found in natural forests, it has been planted widely in all plantation sites throughout the country. Present study is to identify potential productive area of Gmelina arborea in Bangladesh considering climate and soil factors favourable to its growth. Geographic Information System (GIS) is a key tool to plot favourable plantation areas matching temperature, rainfall, soil types and topographic factors for the species studied. Results depicted that Gmelina arborea might grow well in Eastern part of the country especially in North-Eastern and South Eastern part of Bangladesh. This may be due to higher temperature and rainfall on that part and favourable sandy loam soil for the species there. These proposed potential plantation areas fall in tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forest of the country, known to be its natural habitat. By this study it would be easier to identify Gmelina's distribution in forest ecosystems that may determine which silvicultural treatments are suitable for it to grow towards a normal growing stock.