Afforestation

Afforestation

With the view of increasing forest resources, planting trees in scientific ways, taking care after planning and proper management of the related activities are usually known as afforestation. The demand for forest materials has increased due to increasing rate of population and standard of living. The forest resources are decreasing at a rapid rate due to a faster rate of harvesting forest materials to meet the increased rate of demand; The environmental balance is thus seriously disturbed. So, to meet up the deficit of forest resources and to keep balance in the environment, the importance of afforestation is greatly increasing day by day.

Afforestation System 

The afforestation systems may be divided into two divisions as follows_

 1.     Traditional afforestation

 2.     Social afforestation 

1. Traditional Afforestation 

Afforestation programmes have been containing along with the harvest of forest trees or deforestation. In the past, afforestation were done in the forest areas, which were under the control of government, considering only the economic aspects. Afforestation programme was started at first in Bangladesh in 1873 with the establishment of Shegun plantation in Chittagong Hill Tracts. 

The major objectives of these forest plantations were to raise valuable trees and to ensure supply of raw materials for industries. The rural people were deprived of the benefits of such government owned forests. As a result rural people deforested in an uncontrolled way this valuable natural resource and harvested forest trees to meet up their demand. Due to shortage of agricultural land, many forest lands have been converted to crop lands. For these reasons afforestation have been started in the deforested areas, coastal and new char lands. Under this programme plantation garden has been established in Chittagong. Chittagong Hill Tracts, Sylhet and Cox' Bazar with trees like Shegun, Garjan, Mehgoni, Gamar, Eucalyptus, Akashmoni, etc. 

2. Social Afforestation 

The forests of Bangladesh are not uniformly distributed throughout the country. Most of the forests are situated at the east, southeast and south-west regions of the country. So, a greater population of the country is deprived of the benefits of forests resources. So, rural people of the deprived areas are thus meeting their need of wood by cutting homestead trees and bushes. As a result the rural homestead forest are getting rapidly reduced. In the context, planting forest trees in the homestead surrounding, side of roads and embankments through the direct participation of rural people with the objective of increasing forest production is known as social afforestation. 

Objectives of Social Afforestation

The major objectives of the social forestry are as follows_ 

l. Increasing the supply of timber wood, fire wood and raw materials for industries.

 2. Establishing cottage industries and supplying raw materials to the cottage industries. 

3. Creating employment opportunity for the rural people and enhancing the economic development. 4. Eradication of poverty.

 5. Improvement of the environment.

 6. Ensuring production and optimum use of the land 

Ways of Increasing Forest Resources 

The forest resources of country may be increased by the following ways through social afforestation: 

1. Planting trees in the homestead and surrounding areas.

 2. Planting tree species on the banks of pond and water bodies.

 3. Planting forest trees on the sides of roads and highways, rail ways, embankments, rivers and canals.

 4. By extending agro-forestry,

 5. By creating participatory forests in the forest lands.

Social Afforestation Programmes in Bangladesh 

Social afforestation programmes in Bangladesh were initiated in the late seventy. Extensive social forestry programmes were initiated under the community forestry project in the north-western regions of Bangladesh in the early eighties. Presently this programmes have been extended to the whole country including greater Dhaka, Mymensingh and Tangail districts. Mainly short duration multipurpose tree species are planted in this programme. The side of roads and highways, railways and embankments plants trees. Besides, trees are planted at the homestead, schools college and premises of the industrial factories, offices and other institutes. 

Social Forestry Plan

 Well thought and perfect plan is a pre-requisite for successful execution of any programme. Afforestation is not an exception to it. The social forestry programmes may be outlined and described mainly on the basis of the following points :

 1.     Selection of site and identification of beneficiaries.

  2.     Selection of appropriate tree species.

 3.     Preparation of land 4.     Planting tree seedling. 

5.     After care of the seedling and tree 

6.     Tree felling or harvesting. 

Selection of Site and Identification of Beneficiaries

 Before undertaking a programme, one has to assess where and how much land suitable for afforestation is available. After locating the area, year wise planting programme and number of trees to be planted are to be determined and beneficiaries are to be identified. 

Selection of Tree Species The success of afforestation is largely dependent on the appropriate selection of tree species. The following two points should be considered in detail while selecting a tree species suitable for social afforestation,

1. Trees which can not tolerate water logging like Jackfruit, Shal Shegun and Gamar should not be planted in the flood prong areas. 

2. The use of the planted tree that is for what purpose the produced tree will be used should be ascertained. Such as, the planted tree may be use for electric pole, housing pole, fuel wood, furniture and construction or as raw materials for cottage industries. 

Land Preparation

 Tree seedlings are usually planted at the beginning of the rainy season. But before planting trees the land or the site should be well prepared. In forest plantation, land preparation includes clearing the selected site and marking the site with poles or pegs. There are certain methods, which should be strictly followed while planting at the sides of roads and highways, railways and embankments. 

Planting of Seedlings

 The distance from tree to tree will vary according to the type of species. However, seedlings are planted at a distance of two metres in gardens. The size of the pit will depend on the type of species and size of the seedlings to be planted. Usually a pit of 50 cm x 50 cm x 50 cm is recommended for a seedling whose age is one year or less. The pit should be made before the rainy season starts. The soil of the upper part of the pit should be kept at one side and the soil of the lower part of the pit at the other side. About 5 kg cow dung or compost 20 gm T S P and 20 gm MP fertilizer should be mixed with the soil of the upper portion at least 15 days before planting and put in to the pit at first. Then the soil of the pit should be well pulverized before planting the seedling. The surface of the pit should levelled and a hole should be made at the centre according to the size of the polybag. Just before planting the polythene sheet of the polybag should be cut by a blade or knife and removed. If the seedling is in a pot, then the seedling may be removed breaking the pot. Then the seedling should be placed upright in the pit hole in such a way that the base of the seedling remains at the original ground level. After placing the seedling the empty sides of the hole may be filled in by putting soil from the surrounding. The soil of the pit should be mildly compacted by pressing the surface loose soil by hand. One stick should be placed by the side of the seedling and he seedling should be loosely bound with that stick. The seedling after plantinrg should be irrigated by watering can after planting. 

Afforestation of Road, Railways and Embankment Sides

 There are certain methods, which are required to be strictly followed while planting by the sides of roads and highways, railways and embankments. Usually a thick line of Arhar plants may be raised at a distance of 30 cm from the edge of the roads and embankments. First line of trees should be planted at a distance of 180 cm from the line of Arhar and second line at the same distance from the first line of trees. One line of Dhaincha may be given at a distance of 30 cm from the second line of trees. Lines of trees may be increased in this way if' space is available at the side. 

After Care of the Seedling 

The main intercultural operations to be done far, a seedling are described, herebriefly:

1. After planting the seedling, the soil of the pit should be moistened giving irrigation water. The plant should be irrigated every alternate day in dry weather.

 2. Weeds grown around the seedling should be cleaned as and when it is necessary.

 3. In case of death of any seedling the gap should filled with new seedling immediately. 

 4 A fence should be given around each seedling to protect it from cattle and goats.

 5. In case of road and embankment plantations one line of Arhar in the upper side and one line of Dhaincha at the lower side may be placed.