Information on plant diversity and community structure are required to chalk out necessary actions for conservation management. The present study assessed the composition and diversity of tree species in Kamalachari Natural Forest of Chittagong South Forest Division, Bangladesh, during April 2010 to November 2011. A total of 107 tree species belonging to 72 genera and 37 families were recorded, where Moraceae family was represented by maximum (11) species. Density, Basal area and volume of tree species were 418±20.09 stem/ha, 21.10±2.62 m 2 /ha and 417.4±79.8 m 3 /ha respectively. Diameter and height class distribution of tree species revealed an almost reverse J-shaped curve. Both the number of species and percentage of tree individuals were maximum in the lower DBH and height ranges. Anthropogenic disturbances like illegal tree cutting, over extraction, settlement inside forest area etc. were noticed during the study, which are supposed to cause gradual decrease of both tree species and individuals in the higher DBH and height classes.However, Artocarpus chama was found dominant showing maximum IVI followed by Schima wallichii, Aporosa wallichii, and Lithocarpus acuminata. The quantitative structure of the tree species of Kamalachari natural forest is comparable to other tree species rich tropical natural forests. The findings of the study may help in monitoring future plant population changes of the identified species and adopting species specific conservation programs in Kamalachari natural forest.
Aquatic ecosystems are contaminated with heavy metals by natural and anthropogenic sources. Whilst some heavy metals are necessary for plants as micronutrients, others can be toxic to plants and humans even in trace concentrations. Among heavy metals, cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg) cause significant damage to aquatic ecosystems and can invariably affect human health. Rice, a staple diet of many nations, and other aquatic plants used as vegetables in many countries, can bioaccumulate heavy metals when they grow in contaminated aquatic environments. These metals can enter the human body through food chains, and the presence of heavy metals in food can lead to numerous human health consequences. Heavy metals in aquatic plants can affect plant physicochemical functions, growth, and crop yield. Various mitigation strategies are being continuously explored to avoid heavy metals entering aquatic ecosystems. Understanding the levels of heavy metals in rice and aquatic plants grown for food in contaminated aquatic environments is important. Further, it is imperative to adopt sustainable management approaches and mitigation mechanisms. Although narrowly focused reviews exist, this article provides novel information for improving our understanding about heavy metal accumulation in rice and aquatic plants, addressing the gaps in literature.
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