Management of Bamboo Forests

Bamboos are poor man's timber. They are also used for manufacture of paper. They are used for cottage industries and a large number of tribals depend on them. Natural bamboo forests have been worked in India on cutting cycles from 2-4 years. The frequency of cutting cycles was based on working convenience. Periodic flowering coupled with misuse and lack of protection has reduced the extent of bamboo forests. Some foresters believe that bamboo rhizomes extend outwards and young bamboo culms depend on the support of the old culms. Studies have shown that the development of new culms is not peripheral. Culms older than two years did not affect the production of new culms. Productivity of bamboo forests depends on the production and the size of new culms. The clump age is controlled by the genetics of the seed but culm age depends on the provenance and Ihe climatic conditions. Removal of dry culms increases the production of new culms. Vegetative reproduction methods have been worked out for several bamboo species but the success depends on the age of the culm and the season of cutting. Tissue culture work has succeeded only with juvenile seedlings. The planting trials of tissue culture raised plantlets are still young and they have shown wide variability in the quality and quantity of the formation of new culms.