M. Mozaffar Hossain | University of Dhaka, Bangladesh (original) (raw)

Papers by M. Mozaffar Hossain

Arabian Journal of Geosciences

The waste rock dumps (WRD) in mining operations and post-mining activities pose environmental cha... more The waste rock dumps (WRD) in mining operations and post-mining activities pose environmental challenges unless rehabilitated with vegetation. The optimal planting density for the re-vegetation of WRD with forest tree species is unknown. This study determined the effective planting density for a native forest species Acacia mangium. Acacia seedlings were in-situ established on a WRD of a mining site at planting densities 3 m × 3 m, 2.5 m × 2.5 m, and 2 m × 2 m with an unplanted plot. The treatments were assigned to plots in a Completely Randomized Design and replicated six times. The pre-plant and post-planting physicochemical properties of the soil on the WRD were assessed. The experimental site had very low organic C content (0.07–0.95%), slight to strongly acidic reaction (pH, 2.82–6.65), moderate levels of exchangeable Mg (0.34–1.44 cmol/kg), and K (0.03–0.32 cmol/kg) in the top 30 cm of the WRD. WRD material also had appreciable amounts of toxic elements such as Al, Cu, Fe, Mn, and Cd. The post-planting results indicated that rehabilitation of WRD with Acacia at a density of 2.5 m × 2.5 m significantly (p < 0.05) increased organic C (100%), exchangeable K (124%), and Mg (55%) contents and enhanced extractable Cu contents (by 5-folds) compared to unplanted WRD. Other physicochemical characters of WRD such as pH, exchangeable Ca content, extractable P and toxic metals such as extractable Al, Fe, and Mn, and total Cd concentrations were unaffected by the planting density. The study recommended the Acacia mangium re-vegetation of WRD at a planting density of 2.5 m × 2.5 m to potentially improve the chemical fertility, nutrient recycling, and re-establishment of microbial ecosystem services.

CRC Press eBooks, Oct 18, 2022

Environmental Earth Sciences, Feb 21, 2020

Deforestation, environmental degradation, and pollution from the mining activities are much studi... more Deforestation, environmental degradation, and pollution from the mining activities are much studied global environmental concerns. The effect of waste rock dumping from mining activity on the forest soil characters and suitability of waste rock dumps for bioremediation is least explored. Such information is necessary for making rehabilitation decisions. In this study, soil physicochemical characteristics and some index polluting elements were assessed in the waste rock dump stations (n = 16) and adjacent natural forest stations (n = 14) in a gold mine situated in the Morobe province of Papua New Guinea. Results indicated that the waste rock dump was poorer in organic C, but rich in available P, exchangeable Ca and Mg contents, and extractable Cu and Mn. Comparison of established diagnostic norms for potential sufficiency and toxicity of nutrient elements with those observed in the study indicated that organic carbon content, exchangeable K, Ca and Mg as well as, extractable Cu content was at an insufficient level in a majority of stations of waste rock dump for arable crops. Besides, the mean Cd content of waste rock dump was 15-times greater than that in forest stations while that of extractable Mn was 400-fold higher. Findings of the study warranted the use of adaptable and hardy forest species instead of arable crops for safe bioremediation of waste rock dump.

The development of value added composite products from bamboo with the application of gluing tech... more The development of value added composite products from bamboo with the application of gluing technology can play a vital role in economic development and also in forest resource conservation of any country. In this study, the gluability of Bambusa balcooa and Bambusa vulgaris, two locally grown bamboo species of Bangladesh was assessed. As the culm wall thickness of bamboos decreases from bottom to top, a culm portion of up to 5.4 m and 3.6 m were used from the base of B. balcooa and B. vulgaris, respectively, to get rectangular strips of uniform thickness. The color of the B. vulgaris strips was yellowish brown and that of B. balcooa was reddish brown. The strips were treated in borax-boric, bleaching and carbonization for extending the service life of the laminates. The preservative treatments changed the color of the strips. Borax–bori...

Journal of Forestry Research, 2010

The flowing water was collected from very small creeks and seepage water from small dug holes at ... more The flowing water was collected from very small creeks and seepage water from small dug holes at three different areas, viz. Manikchari, Ghagra and Muralipara in Rangamati district of Chittagong Hill Tracts, Bangladesh to investigate the impact of the existing varied land covers on water quality. Chemical analyses shows that flowing creek water from either mature mixed plantation or young gamar (Gmelina arborea) plantation had significantly (p<0.05) higher pH value, SO 4 2and Ca 2+ concentrations, and significantly lower Na + concentration at Manikchari, compared to natural vegetation and plantation in combination. In flowing creek water of Ghagra, the concentrations of SO 4 2and K + , conductivity and total dissolved solids from watershed of 8-year-old teak (Tectona grandis) plantation were significantly higher and the concentrations of HCO 3-, NO 3 and PO 4 3were significantly lower, compared to those of watershed of degraded natural vegetation. At Muralipara, flowing creek water from natural vegetation and shifting cultivated land in combination showed significantly higher concentrations of HCO 3-, NO 3-, Na + , K + , Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ , and conductivity and total dissolved solids than seepage water as well as tube well water installed in shifting cultivated area alone.

International Journal of Adhesion and Adhesives, 2011

Development of value-added products from any unutilized woody or non-woody material can play a vi... more Development of value-added products from any unutilized woody or non-woody material can play a vital role in economic development and also in forest resources conservation of any country. In this study, the suitabilities of planer waste and chips of Bambusa balcooa and Bambusa vulgaris, two locally grown bamboo species of Bangladesh, were investigated for the production of particleboard. The planer waste is a kind of shavings obtained during planing operation of bamboo splits for making rectangular strips of uniform thickness. Urea formaldehyde glue was used as a binder. Particleboards (12 mm thickness) were made from each type of the material applying 3.5 N/mm 2 pressure at 140 1C press temperature. The panels were tested to determine bending strength, modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, thickness swelling and water absorption. The variation in particle geometry of the raw materials significantly influenced the physical and mechanical properties of particleboard. The chips showed better strength properties compared to planer waste. B. vulgaris produced better and well glued particleboards compared to B. balcooa because of its superior gluability. The product could be used for indoor application especially as furniture component. Further research on the improvement in dimensional stabilization of product is needed.

Journal of Forestry Research, 2011

An attempt has been made to study financial profitability in private sector sawmilling in Chittag... more An attempt has been made to study financial profitability in private sector sawmilling in Chittagong. Data were collected frof 10 private sector sawmills using random sampling method covering both urban (5 observations) and rural (5 observaticrtts) areas during October, 1992. It has been found that sawmill enterprises with high proportion of working capital invested for the supply of logs to the sawmills by the owner have been utilizing both labour and capital efficiently. But the present state of management and technology is simply inappropriate. However, the returns on investment will be adequate to justify further investment on log input by the sawmill proprietors.

Specific gravity and shrinkage of Paraserianthes falcataria (L.) Nielson were studied at three ag... more Specific gravity and shrinkage of Paraserianthes falcataria (L.) Nielson were studied at three age groups ranging from 6 to 10 years at three levels of height. Specific gravity was determined on the basis of green and oven dry volumes. Shrinkages were evaluated from green condition to 15 per cent moisture content and ovendry condition. The result showed that ovendry specific gravity was higher than green specific gravity and tangential shrinkage was higher than radial shrinkage. Specific gravity and shrinkage were found to be independent of the stem. The overall specific gravity and shrinkage were affected by the age factor.

A T} S]'RA C T Srr'rli lrlocks 6l'pt:r1l,l ivrlr)(i ilt)t) rmn x l0 rnrn x 6 rnm) werc acetyllte,... more A T} S]'RA C T Srr'rli lrlocks 6l'pt:r1l,l ivrlr)(i ilt)t) rmn x l0 rnrn x 6 rnm) werc acetyllte,i ;i'ith ac:etic anhyclricle with.rrl srv,clliug agent or cutalyst by a simple clipping mcthod. Acetvlrtitin w.:,ght perccnt gains rlf :).ji, l4.l-'t, 17.92 ald 21.84 ancl rtrti-slirilk r:ltir-rit:pL:v cl 2-5 'loti', 36'8o/o 52'i';t" ancl (r5 '69b werc ac:hievccl after 1.2, 4 arrtl i: ltrtrr;, ol' treatnrent lespcctively. Iiflect rtf sarnplc l:i0isture i-:0ntent and sur.r-rplc lhit'!:nr:ss {)n r!ur}ldtron were also exarninecl where it is observed that with an iucrease in satnple moisture contcnt ancl sunple thickncss separltcly there is a graclual dec:reasc in l, ctylation weight per \rrnt gains attained.

Journal of Forestry Research, 2012

We report the effects of shifting cultivation on water quality in 16 creeks investigated once in ... more We report the effects of shifting cultivation on water quality in 16 creeks investigated once in 2007 and twice in 2008 in 16 apparently similar small neighboring watersheds, each of 3 to 5 ha, at four locations around Barkal sub-district under Rangamati District of Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh. Concentrations of SO 4 2and K + , and pH in creek water were lower, and NO 3-N and Na + concentrations were higher in shifting-cultivation land compared to land with either plantation or natural forest or a combination of these cover types. Shifting cultivation effects on some water quality parameters were not significant due to change in land cover of the watershed between two sampling periods either through introduction of planted tree species or naturally regenerated vegetation. Conductivity and concentrations of HCO 3-, PO 4 3-, Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ in creek water showed no definite trend between shifting cultivation and the other land cover types. At one area near the Forest Range Office of Barkal, creek water pH was 5.8 under land cover with a combination of shifting cultivation and plantation. At this area Na + concentration in shifting-cultivation land ranged from 32.33 to 33.00 mg⋅L-1 and in vegetated area from 25.00 to 30.50 mg⋅L-1 in 2007. At another area, Chaliatali Chara, SO 4 2concentration in a shifting-cultivation watershed ranged from 4.46 to 10.51 mg⋅L-1 , lower than in a vegetated watershed that ranged from 11.69 to 19.98 mg⋅L-1 in 2007. SO 4 2concentration in this shifting-cultivation area ranged from 1.28 to 1.37 mg⋅L-1 and in the vegetated area from 1.37 to 3.50 mg⋅L-1 in 2008.