Bamboo Resources of Jharkhand

Studies have been conducted to assess bamboo resources at both forest and non-forest areas in the state of Jharkhand. Information on land use, bamboo overlapping areas in forests, demographic features of the villages, households owning bamboos, species diversity, their growth, productivity etc., have been collected on sample survey basis covering all the agro-climatic zones of the state. 14.51% of total forest area (TFA) is covered with potential natural bamboos of mainly Dendrocalamus strictus (>98% area) with average clump density of 170 (clumps ha ^-1). Other species encountered are Bambusa bambos and Gigantochloa albociliata. The natural bamboos are in a state of severe degradation due to indiscriminate felling by villagers, absence of any management system and lack of state vigilance. From the villages of Jharkhand altogether 10 bamboo species have been found with dominant species being Bambusa nutans (representing 84.582% of TBA and 1.314% of TGA), Dendrocalamus strictus (11.924% of TBA and 0.185% of TGA), and Bambusa bambos (2.257% on TBA and 0.035% on TGA). 1.554 % of TGA is covered by homestead bamboos which is equivalent to 16.852% of TNA and 10.442% of TNA + CW as per the land use of the state. Contrary to this, 131.769% of TNA or 59.349 % TNA + CW in three blocks of East Singhbhum district is under homestead bamboos. This indicate that, by retaining 50% of land under these two land use classes for other domestic purposes, it is possible to extend bamboo cultivation in additional 39.558% of land not used for cultural practices in the state with suitable species and adequate extension mechanism to safeguard ecological and economic scenario of the state.