摘要：Continued denudation of forest vegetation in national forests and protected areas of Bangladesh, due to increasing population and other biotic and abiotic pressures, poses a threat to forest productivity and biodiversity. Homestead forests, although mostly in scattered areas, provide most of the total supply of timber and timber products in Bangladesh. This study investigated the biodiversity of homestead forests in the Mymensingh District, Bangladesh. We studied the composition, diversity and structure of homestead forest species through empirical field research. A total of 43 woody perennials and 38 vegetables species were found in the study sites. Banana, betel nut, jackfruit, mango, mahogany, teak and acacia constituted the major floral composition. The abundance of horticultural species was higher than that of the timber species in all the study sites. However, among the newly planted homestead plants, timber species are gradually increasing. This trend of floral dynamics indicates a probable change in future homestead plant structure and composition. This study confirms that the homestead forests of Bangladesh are rich in plant species diversity even distributed sporadically in small areas. With appropriate models, based on both traditional and scientific knowledge, homestead forestry could emerge as an effective means for both economic well-being and biodiversity conservation in Bangladesh.
