Forestry & Environmental Science

    Faculty Profile

    Dr Md Qumruzzaman Chowdhury

    Professor

    Contact Information:

    • Phone: 01734161326
    • Email: qumrul@gmail.com; qumrul-for@sust.edu

    Education:

    • Postdoc in Wood Biology, Royal Museum for Central Africa, Tervuren, Belgium
    • PhD in Forest and Wood Science, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Japan
    • MSc in Forest and Nature Conservation, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
    • BSc (Honours) in Forestry, Khulna University, Bangladesh

    Research Interests:

    • My current research focuses on how growth conditions (e.g., climate, drought and salinity) and management regimes affect tree (cambial) growth, wood structure and (eco-physiological) functions in tropical species including mangroves. This approach helps to understand tree biology but also important for wood quality assessment (providing information on wood properties), forest management (e.g., fixing rotation, thinning intensity, biomass estimation, and selecting site-specific and climate resilient tree species), and tree breeding programs (e.g., identifying growth and wood traits for plus tree selection).

    Active Research Project

    1. Determining the hydro-climatic influences on growth dynamics of mangrove tree species in the Sundarbans
    2. Effects of salinity on eco-physiology of major mangrove tree species in the Sundarbans
    3. Understanding the growth ring and wood formation in tropical trees

    Awards & Recognition:

    • Postdoctoral fellowship from Belgian Federal Science Policy Office co-funded by the Marie Curie Actions from the European Commission (2013-2015)
    • Japanese Government (Monku-ghakgushu) Scholarship (2006-2009)
    • EU Synthesys grant 2006
    • Netherlands Government Fellowship (NFP-AP) (2004-2006)
    • Khulna University Merit Scholarship (1996-2000)

    Journal Publications

    1. Chowdhury MQ, Sarker SK, Sultana R, Datta A, Saimun MSR, Rashid AZMM (2023) Synergistic effects of climate and salinity on radial growth of Excoecaria agallocha L. in the Sundarbans world heritage mangrove ecosystem. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 280,108181
    2. Halder NK, Chowdhury MQ, Fuentes D, Possell M, Merchant A (2021) Intra-specific patterns of δ13C, growth and wood density variation at sites of contrasting precipitation with implications for modelling carbon sequestration of tropical tree species. Agroforestry systems 1-15.
    3. Siddique MRH, Zuidema PA, Sass-Klaassen U, Chowdhury MQ (2021) Ring width and vessel features of the mangrove Excoecaria agallocha L. depend on salinity in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh. Dendrochronologia 125857
    4. Sultana R, Aktar S, Mamun MAA, Ashaduzzaman M, Chowdhury MQ, Rashid AZMM (2021) Durability of three tropical timber species growing in Bangladesh to white-rot fungi. Journal of the Indian Academy of Wood Science
    5. Rahman MS, Sass-Klaassen U, Zuidema PA, Chowdhury MQ, Beeckman H (2020) Salinity drives growth dynamics of the mangrove tree Sonneratia apetala Buch.-Ham. in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh. Dendrochronologia 62,125711.
    6. Chowdhury MQ, Bhattarai TR, De Ridder M, Beeckman H (2020) Growth rings of Diploknema butyracea reveal indigenous land rights in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal. Forests 11 (2), 242.
    7. Chowdhury MQ, De Ridder M, Delvaux C, Beeckman H (2016) Cambial dormancy induced growth rings in Heritiera fomes Buch.- Ham.: a proxy for exploring the dynamics of Sundarbans, Bangladesh. Trees 30(1): 227–239.
    8. Chowdhury MQ, De Ridder M, Beeckman H (2016) Climatic Signals in Tree Rings of Heritiera fomes Buch.-Ham. in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh. PLoS ONE 11(2): e0149788.
    9. Majumdar M, Das A, Shams M, Chowdhury M (2015) Effect of age and height position on physical and mechanical properties of rubber wood (Hevea brasiliensis) of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research. 49(2): 79-84.
    10. Deb JC, Salman MHR, Halim MA, Chowdhury MQ, Roy A (2014) Characterising the diameter distribution of Sal plantations by comparing normal, lognormal and Weibull distributions at Tilagarh Eco-park, Bangladesh. Southern Forests 76(4): 201-208.
    11. Sarker SK, Das N, Chowdhury MQ (2013) Allometric models for estimating leaf area and foliar biomass of Artocarpus chaplasha in Raghunandan Hill Reserve, Bangladesh. Southern Forests 75(1):51-57.
    12. Chowdhury MQ, Sarker SK, Deb JC, Sonet SS (2013) Timber species grouping in Bangladesh-linking wood properties. Wood Science and Technology 47:797–813.
    13. Chowdhury MQ, Ishiguri F, Iizuka K, Hiraiwa T, Takashima Y, Yokota S, Yoshizawa N (2013) Anatomical property variation in Acacia auriculiformis growing in Bangladesh. International Wood Products Journal 4(2):75-80.
    14. Chowdhury MQ, Khan MR, Mehedi MAH (2013) Wood density variation in four tropical tree species growing in Bangladesh. Journal of Indian Academy of Wood Science 10:32–38.
    15. Chowdhury MQ, Ishiguri F, Iizuka K, Ishido M, Takashima Y, Matsumoto K, Hiraiwa T, Yokota S, Yoshizawa N (2012) Anatomical properties variation and their correlations with wood density and compressive strength in Casuarina equisetifolia growing in Bangladesh. Australian Forestry 75(2):95-99.
    16. Mehedi MAH, Kundu C, Chowdhury MQ (2012) Patterns of tree buttressing at Lawachara National Park, Bangladesh. J For Res 23(3):461-466.
    17. Chowdhury MQ, Ishiguri F, Hiraiwa T, Takashima Y, Iizuka K, Yokota S, Yoshizawa N (2012) Radial variation of bending property in plantation grown Acacia auriculiformis in Bangladesh. Forest Science Technology 8(3):1-4.
    18. Rashid AZMM, Chowdhury MQ, Saleh AFM (2012) Alternative media and its role in natural resources management - empirical findings on management perspectives in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh. International Journal of Forest Usufructs Management 13(1): 22-33.
    19. Chowdhury, M.Q., Ishiguri, F., Iizuka, K., Takashima, Y., Matsumoto, K., Hiraiwa, T., Ishido, M., Sanpe, H., Yokota, S. and Yoshizawa, N. 2009. Radial variation of wood properties in Casuarina equisetifolia L. growing in Bangladesh. Journal of Wood Science 55: 139-143.
    20. Chowdhury MQ, Ishiguri F, Iizuka K, Ishido M, Takashima Y, Matsumoto K, Hiraiwa T, Yokota S, Yoshizawa N (2009) Wood properties variation in Acacia auriculiformis growing in Bangladesh. Wood and Fiber Science 44(4): 359-365.
    21. Sterck FJ, Zweifel R, Sass-Klaassen UGW, Chowdhury Q (2008) Persisting soil drought reduces the leaf specific conductivity in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Pubescent oak (Quercus pubescens Willd.). Tree physiology 28:529-536.
    22. Chowdhury MQ, Schmitz N, Verheyden A, Sass-Klaassen UGW, Koedam N, Beeckman H (2008) Nature and periodicity of growth rings in two Bangladesh mangrove species. IAWA Journal 29(3):65-76.
    23. Chowdhury MQ, Rashid AZMM, Afrad MM (2008) Growth performance of Teak (Tectona grandis Linn. f.) coppice under different regimes of canopy opening. Tropical Ecology 49 (2):45-50.
    24. Chowdhury MQ, Rashid AZMM, Newaz MS, Alam M　(2007) Effects of height on physical properties of wood of jhau (Casuarina equisetifolia). Australian Forestry 70(1): 33-36.
    25. Chowdhury MQ, Shams MI, Alam M (2005). Effects of age and height variation on physical properties of mangium (Acacia mangium Wild) wood. Australian Forestry 68(1):17-19.
    26. Chowdhury MQ, Rashid AZMM, Alam M, Khan NA (2005) Selected dynamics of human interference and impact on the Reed Forests of the Sylhet region. International Journal of Biodiversity Science & Management1:58-64.
    27. Chowdhury MQ (2004) Assessment of Physical and Mechanical Properties of Golla bet (Daemonorops jinkinsiana) from northeastern region of Bangladesh. Journal of Bamboo and Rattan 3(3): 195–201.
    28. Chowdhury MQ, Rashid AZMM, Afrad MM (2004) Socio-economic Status of Reed Forests in a Rural Community: A Case Study from the Greater Sylhet Region of Bangladesh. Small-scale Forest Economics, Management and Policy 3(1): 121-130.
    29. Chowdhury MQ, Afrad MM, Rashid AZMM (2004) Present Conservation and Management Status of Protected Areas in Bangladesh. Tiger Paper 31(3):11-17.
    30. Chowdhury MQ, Rashid AZMM, Afrad MM (2004) Status of Agar (Aquilaria agallocha) based cottage industries in northeastern region of Bangladesh. Bangladesh Journal of Resources and Devlopment 2(1):21-30.
    31. Chowdhury MQ, Rashid AZMM, Afrad MM (2003) Influence of age and height on physical properties of Sissoo (Dalbergia sissoo Roxb.) wood. SUST STUDIES 5(1): 17-21

    Conference Proceedings

    1. Sass-Klaassen UGW, Chowdhury MQ, Sterck FJ, Zweifel R (2006) Effects of water availability on the growth and tree morphology of Quercus pubescens Willd. and Pinus sylvestris L. in the Valais, Switzerland. In: Henca, K., Verheyden, A., Beeckman, H., Gärtner, H.　Helle, G. and Schleser, G. (eds.). TRACE: Tree Rings in Archaeology, Climatology and Ecology. Proceedings of the Dendrosymposium, 20-22 April 2006, Tervuren, Belgium. Vol. 5: 206-217.