Download Seedling Growth Performance of Cassia fistula (Linn.) Using Climate

Seedling Growth Performance of Cassia fistula (Linn.) Using
Climate Change Scenarios for Bangladesh
M. R. Ullah* and M. Al-Amin
Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, Chittagong University, Bangladesh
Abstract
Climate is a key factor which determines the distribution of plants and animals. The time has
come to identify the indigenous and/or exotic forest tree species considering nationally viable
and adaptable to future climate change. A need may exist to develop the management techniques
with experimental settings to facilitate the survival and make best use of suitable species as well.
The aim of the study was to assess the early growth performance of Cassia fistula using Climate
change scenarios for Bangladesh. The experiment was conducted in the nursery and tree
propagation laboratory of Institute of Forestry and Environmental Sciences, University of
Chittagong, Bangladesh from April 2008 to June 2008.
The experiment was conducted under existing temperature; low, mid and high temperature
scenarios. The highest average height (13.05 cm) and collar diameter (1.53 cm) of Cassia fistula
was found in low temperature scenario followed by existing temperature; mid and high
temperature scenarios respectively. Also, average leaf number (21) was developed in low
temperature scenario followed by existing (11); high (4) and mid (3) temperature scenarios
respectively. The indigenous forest tree species of Bangladesh Cassia fistula may not survive in
the natural forest when the temperature of Bangladesh will be rise and the species will go to
vulnerable to extinct condition.
Keywords: Cassia fistula, Climate change scenarios, Seedling growth
*Corresponding Author: Mohammad Rahmat Ullah
Tel.: +88 01819821666;
E-mail address: [email protected]
Introduction
Native to the tropical regions of Asia, Cassia
fistula is the order of Fabaceae and
Leguminosae family, naturally distributed
across Bangladesh, India, Indochina,
Malaysia, and Thailand (Karaboon, 2005).
A small to medium sized deciduous tree,
often with crooked bole; young shoots and
leaves silky. Bark greenish or ashy grey,
Leaves pinnate, 24-40 cm long; Flowers
yellow, in pendulous, lax, axillary, 20-60
cm long racemes. Fruit a pod, 30-60 cm
long and about 2.5 cm across, Seeds 40100, flattened, ovoid, about 1 cm across,
embedded in a dark brown or black
sweetish pulp (Das and Alam, 2001). It has
a wide range of climatic requirements. In
natural habitat, the absolute maximum
shade temperature ranges from 37 o to 48 o
C, and the absolute maximum shade
temperature is from 3.9 0 to 19 0 C. Normal
rainfall ranges from 508 to 3048 mm
(Luna, 1995).
Climate variability and change, its impacts
and vulnerabilities are growing concern
world wide (McCarthy et al., 2001). Tree
establishment and growth generated by
environmental gradients and topographic
differentiation (Colmore, 2003). United
Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (UNFCCC) pointed out
that a 1.5o C mean temperature increase is
equivalent to a potential northward shift of
50 to 80 km per decade or an altitude shift
of 40-55 m per decade. The effects of
climate change scenarios will have
enormous consequences on future forestry
activities, especially conversion of
agricultural land into plantations or
plantations into semi-natural woodland in
a land hungry country (Al-Amin, 2008).
Generally, future changes of temperature
and rainfall for Bangladesh are estimated
taking 1990 as the base year and using two
general approaches i.e. (a) projection
based on observed data, and (b) using
available climate model. The present
changes in the observed climatic elements
have been projected up to 2050 and 2100
years.
Table 1: Climate Change Scenarios for Bangladesh
Sea level
Temperature
Precipitation fluctuation
rise (cm)
increase (ºC)
Compared to 1990 (%)
Based on 2nd IPCC projections (WB 2000)
2030
30
+0.7 in monsoon;
-3 in winter; +11 in monsoon
+1.3 in winter
2050
50
+1.1 in monsoon;
-37 in winter; +28 in monsoon
+1.8 in winter
Based on 3rd IPCC projections (Agarwala et al., 2003)
2030
+0.8 in monsoon;
-1.2 in winter; +4.7 in monsoon
+1.1 in winter
2050
+1.1 in monsoon;
-1.7 in winter; +11.8 in monsoon
+1.6 in winter
2100
+1.9 in monsoon;
-3.0 in winter; +11.8 in monsoon
+2.7 in winter
Year
Changes in
evaporation
+0.9 in winter;
+15.8 in monsoon
0 in winter; +16.7 in
monsoon
Materials and methods
The experiment was carried out April 2008
to June 2008, Tree Propagation
Laboratory, Institute of Forestry and
Environmental Sciences, University of
Chittagong, Bangladesh. The equipments
used in the laboratory were as follows:
Growth chamber and Temperature
regulated growth rooms were used for
initiating growth of seedlings, Digital
humidity/temperature meter for collecting
climatic parameters, Slide caliper for
collar diameter measurement and Scale for
height measurement. The leaves were
counted manually. Watering was done at
every alternate day regularly.
Daily temperature and relative humidity
were recorded using thermometer and
digital humidity/temperature meter during
the experiment.
Table 2. Mean, maximum and minimum monthly temperature during the growth performance
was observed
Temperature
April
May
June
Mean
35.29
33.16
33.40
Maximum
38.5
41
43
Minimum
29
22
26
(Source: Climate Change & GIS Lab. IFESCU, 2008)
The temperature treatments used in the
experiment were as the projected global
scenarios of IPCC at the end of the 21st
century and that was as follows:
T0:Existing
temperature
(average
0
temperature 32.78 C),
T1:Low temperature scenario- B1 (average
temperature 34.580 C),
T2: Mid temperature scenario-A2 (average
temperature 36.180 C), and
T3:High
temperature
scenario-A1F1
(average temperature 36.780 C).
The effects of temperature treatments were
assessed periodically through initial
growth performance of the seedlings.
Shoot length, leaf of all seedlings in each
treatment were recorded at every three
days interval and continued up to 49 days
for growth performance study.
Mean height, mean collar diameter and
mean leaf numbers develop of seedlings
were assessed to know the initial growth
performance of Cassia fistula. All the
recorded data related to seed germination
and seedling growth attributes were
analyzed statistically by using statistical
software Minitab 2002 Version 13.2. The
Analysis Variance (ANOVA) was tested
for the analysis to explore possible
treatment variations.
Results and discussion
The average initial height (cm) of Cassia
fistula seedling was recorded 4.93 cm,
7.33 cm, 9.30 cm and 9.70 cm for existing
temperature, low, mid and high scenarios
respectively.
After 49 days observation the average
final height (cm) was found 10.10 cm,
13.05 cm, 8.78 cm and 9.28 cm for
existing temperature, low, mid and high
temperature scenarios.
Avg. Ht(m )
Linear (Avg. Ht(m ))
16
Avg. Ht(m)
14
12
10
8
6
4
Existing temperature
Low temperature scenario Mid temperature scenario
HS6
HS5
HS4
HS3
HS2
HS1
MS6
MS5
MS4
MS3
MS2
MS1
LS6
LS5
LS4
LS3
LS2
LS1
O S6
O S5
O S4
O S3
O S2
O S1
2
0
High temperature
scenario
Fig.1. Height growth comparison of Cassia fistula under different temperature
scenarios
Fig.1. showed shoot length of Cassia
fistula seedling was significantly higher in
low temperature scenario, B1 (T1= 34.580
C) and lower in mid temperature scenario,
A2 (T2= 36.180 C) compare with others
like existing temperature (T0= 32.780 C)
and high temperature scenario, A1F1 (T3=
36.780 C). The average initial collar
diameter (cm) of Cassia fistula seedling
was recorded 0.15 cm, 0.12 cm, 0.17 cm
and 0.12 cm for existing temperature; low,
mid and high temperature scenarios
respectively. After 49 days observation the
average final collar diameter (cm) of the
seedling was found 1.40 cm, 1.53 cm, 0.75
cm and 0.20 cm for existing temperature;
low, mid and high temperature scenarios.
Low temperature
scenario
Existing temperature
HS6
HS5
HS4
HS3
HS2
HS1
MS6
MS5
MS4
MS3
MS2
MS1
LS6
LS5
LS4
LS3
LS2
LS1
OS6
OS5
OS4
OS3
OS2
1.00
0.90
0.80
0.70
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
OS1
Avg. Collar dia(cm)
Avg. Collar dia (cm )
Linear (Avg. Collar dia (cm))
High temperature
scenario
Mid temperature scenario
Fig. 2.Collar diameter growth comparison of Cassia fistula seedling under different
temperature scenarios
showed collar diameter of Cassia
seedling was found significantly
in low temperature scenario, B1
34.580 C) and lower in high
temperature scenario, A1F1 (T3= 36.780
C) and compare with existing temperature
(T0= 32.780 C)
and mid temperature
scenario, A2 (T2= 36.180 C).
The average initial leaf numbers of Cassia
fistula seedling was 3, 4, 5 and 7 for
existing temperature; low, mid and high
temperature scenarios respectively.
Fig. 2
fistula
higher
(T1=
Avg. leaf
Linear (Avg. leaf)
14
12
8
6
4
2
Existing temperature
Low temperature scenario
Mid temperature scenario
HS6
HS5
HS4
HS3
HS2
HS1
MS6
MS5
MS4
MS3
MS2
MS1
LS6
LS5
LS4
LS3
LS2
LS1
OS6
OS5
OS4
OS3
OS2
0
OS1
Avg. leaf
10
High temperature scenario
Fig. 3. Leaf numbers develop of Cassia fistula seedling under different temperature scenarios
After 49 days observation, the average
final leaf numbers develop of Cassia
fistula seedling was recorded 11, 21, 3, 4
for existing temperature; low, mid and
high temperature scenarios respectively.
Fig. 3 showed leaf numbers develop of
Cassia fistula seedling was significantly
higher in mid temperature scenario, B1
(T1= 34.580 C) and lower in mid
temperature scenario, A2 (T2= 36.180 C)
compare with others like existing
temperature (T0= 32.780 C) and high
temperature scenario, A1F1 (T3= 36.780
C).
Table 3. Effect of days and temperature scenarios on growth performance of Cassia fistula
seedling (Statistical analysis)
Analysis
Effect of temperature scenarios on height of seedling
Effect of temperature scenarios on collar diameter of
seedling
Effect of temperature scenarios on leaf numbers of
seedling
F
5.51
P
0.001
Remark
Highly significant
147.18
0.000
Highly significant
21.54
0.000
Highly significant
*Significant at P = 0.05
Table 3 illustrates temperature scenarios
were highly affected the height and collar
diameter growth and leaf numbers develop
of Cassia fistula seedling. That means this
species growth vary in four different
temperature scenarios.
Hossain (2007), found that in 31.580 C
temperature, growth of Terminalia arjuna
seedlings were more, but in 33.60 C, 30.80
C and 39.60 C temperature there was no
variation of growth of seedling.
Khandaker (2008) found that the only
positive height and collar diameter
increment of Dipterocarpus turbinatus
was found in low scenario, but high
temperature scenario showed higher
negative increment than that of mid
temperature scenario.
Recommendation and Conclusion
The result of the present study suggest that
growth performance (height, collar
diameter and leaf number) of the species in
all the four conditions (existing
temperature; low, mid and high
temperature scenarios) showed variations
and in low temperature scenario the
species grows well than the other
temperatures. The seedlings of the species
showed alarming result i.e. Cassia fistula
may not withstand with the high scenario
of the climate change and found better
growth in existing temperature and mid
temperature scenario. Results depicted
when the temperature of natural forest of
Bangladesh will rise with changing climate
then the species Cassia fistula may not
survive and will go vulnerable to
extinction condition. Management could
be a key tool to improve growing
conditions when facing new climatic
conditions.
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