Impact of Shifting Cultivation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh on the Growth of Microbial Organisms

Abstract

Deforestation is a major environmental problem in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHTs) of Bangladesh, triggered mostly by shifting cultivation. This study was conducted at Barkal Upazila in Rangamati District within the CHTs to explore the effect of shifting cultivation on biological soil properties. It revealed that both fungal and bacterial population were lower in the soil of shifting cultivation land (SCL) than in the soil of natural forest land (NFL). The highest fungal population was found in the subsurface soil at the hill bottoms in NFL, while the lowest fungal population was found in subsurface soil at the hill bottoms in SCL. While there were a variety of fungal genera present in both SCL and NFL soils (including Rhizophus, Asperzillus, Trichoderna, Peniciliium, Colletrotrichum, and Fusarium), the microbial genus of Mucor (which constitutes about 6 species of molds) was found only in NFL soil. It any case, the soil analysis shows that shifting cultivation has resulted in a great biological change in the soil.

Keywords: agriculture, shifting cultivation, soil properties, microbial organisms, development, Bangladesh

JEL Classification: Q15, Q18, Q34