Highland bamboo (Oldeania alpina) is an important forest resource in North-west Ethiopia that has many versatile uses. Five harvesting treatments (involving 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% harvesting intensities of culms aged three or more years) were conducted in 300 m2 plots set in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three replications, in unmanaged natural bamboo forest in the Mesela area of Ankesha district, Northwest Ethiopia. Data on culm regeneration, culm productivity (number of harvested culms per plot) and DBH of new culms were recorded for seven consecutive years. The data were analysed in R using a mixed-effects model, with harvesting intensity and year as fixed factors and block as the random factor. The number of emerging culms differed significantly with harvesting intensity as well as with harvesting year. Harvesting 100% and 75% mature culms resulted in higher numbers of new culms (189 ± 70.5 and 189 ± 87.3) than the 0% (160 ± 73.1), 25% (169 ± 89.8) and 50% (168.0 ± 81.8) harvesting intensities. The greatest numbers of new culms emergence per plot were observed in the second year of harvesting followed by the fourth year and thereafter a decreasing trend was observed. The DBH of new culms increased up to the final year harvesting in all treatments. Moreover, harvesting 100% mature culms in the fifth year yielded more mature culms than 75%, 50% and 25% mature culm harvesting. Therefore, our study has an important implication for the sustainable management of bamboo forests, namely that O. alpina forests growing in similar environments can be managed through harvesting mature culms with higher harvesting intensities to ensure sustainable culm yield production.
Tag: bamboo
Towards upgrading the lowland bamboo (Oxytenanthera abyssinica (A.Rich.) Munro) value chains in Ethiopia: Available resources versus economic development perspectives
Ethiopia holds vast, ISO-compliant lowland bamboo reserves (Oxytenanthera abyssinica), yet this resource remains largely untapped beyond local consumption. This study synthesizes current evidence and field assessments to identify key systemic barriers in the lowland bamboo value chain. Our analysis confirms the sector is characterized by a rudimentary, fragmented chain, where commercialization is principally hindered by limited value addition, inadequate technical capacity, and severe policy gaps, particularly concerning forest tenure and utilization rights. Transitioning the sector from an unsustainable extractive economy to a productive, green industrial economy requires securing community land-use rights, implementing targeted capacity-building and promoting strategic investment in engineered bamboo products.
Editorial: Climate-smart bamboo forest economy for sustainable development
This editorial synthesizes emerging research on bamboo as a climate-smart, nature-based solution capable of addressing interconnected challenges related to climate change, resource depletion, sustainable development, and rural livelihoods. As global demand grows for renewable alternatives to fossil fuel-dependent and resource-intensive products, bamboo is increasingly recognized for its rapid growth, self-regenerating capacity, carbon sequestration potential, and broad range of socio-economic applications. However, while countries such as China, India, Colombia, and Ecuador have successfully integrated bamboo into economic development and environmental strategies, many African countries have yet to fully realize the resource’s potential. This special issue brings together global experiences and innovations aimed at supporting the development of a sustainable and inclusive bamboo-based economy.
Phylogenetic characterization of two novel Kamalomyces species in Tubeufiaceae (Tubeufiales)
Taxonomic and phylogenetic characterizations reveal two new species and two new records of Roussoella (Roussoellaceae, Pleosporales) from Yunnan, China
Roussoella species mainly occur on monocotyledons, especially bamboo, and are characterized by raised, immersed ascostromata, cylindrical to clavate asci and ellipsoidal to fusiform, brown to dark brown, 1-septate, ornamented ascospores. They have cytospora-like asexual morphs with enteroblastic conidiogenous cells and hyaline to dark brown conidia, which are often minutely warty. In this article, two new species and two new records of Roussoella associated with dead bamboo, collected from Yunnan Province of China, are described and illustrated. These four taxa are similar in morphological characteristics, but can be distinguished by phylogenetic analyses of the concatenated ITS, LSU, TEF1-α, and RPB2 sequence data. Based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference analyses of the combined sequence dataset, we introduce Roussoella kunmingensis and R. yunnanensis spp. nov. Roussoella mukdahanensis is provided here as the first record on bamboo from China. The asexual morph of R. pseudohysterioides is illustrated and described on dead bamboo culms.
Epitypification of Two Bambusicolous Fungi from Thailand
More than 1,000 species of bambusicolous fungi have been reported worldwide, although most lack modern morphological description and phylogenetic investigation. Two species of bambusicolous fungi were collected in northern Thailand. Based on morphological characters, and on a comparison with type specimens, they were determined to be Pteridiospora javanica and Roussoellopsis macrospora. In a multigene phylogenetic analysis Pteridiospora javanica formed a sister clade with Astrosphaeriella stellata, while Roussoellopsis macrospora clustered with R. tosaensis in Roussoellaceae. Because the current placement of Astrosphaeriella in Dothideomycetes cannot presently be resolved, the family placement of Pteridiospora javanica is also unresolved. Based on morphology and phylogeny we epitypify our strains under the names Pteridiospora javanica and Roussoellopsis macrospora. Asexual states are also described for both species.
One New Species and Two New Host Records of Apiospora from Bamboo and Maize in Northern Thailand with Thirteen New Combinations
The genus Apiospora is known as a cosmopolitan genus, found across various substrates. In this study, four Apiospora taxa were obtained from the decaying stems of bamboo and maize in northern Thailand. Apiospora collections were compared with known species based on the morphological characteristics and the DNA sequence data of internal transcribed spacer (ITS), the partial large subunit nuclear rDNA (LSU), the translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (TEF1-α) and beta-tubulins (TUB2). Apiospora chiangraiense sp. nov. and two new host records (Ap. intestini and Ap. rasikravindra) are introduced here based on the morphological characteristics and multi-locus analyses. Additionally, thirteen species previously identified as Arthrinium are introduced as new combinations in Apiospora, viz., Ap. acutiapica, Ap. bambusicola, Ap. biserialis, Ap. cordylines, Ap. cyclobalanopsidis, Ap. euphorbiae, Ap. gelatinosa, Ap. locuta-pollinis, Ap. minutispora, Ap. pseudorasikravindrae, Ap. septate, Ap. setariae and Ap. sorghi.
Bamboo-based agroforestry system (Dendrocalamus strictus + sesame–chickpea) for enhancing productivity in semi-arid tropics of central India
Bundelkhand region of central India is characterized by erratic rainfall with high frequency of drought. The region has undulating topography, poor groundwater resources and shallow soils with low soil fertility, resulting in frequent crop failures. A study was undertaken to assess the potential of bamboo-based agroforestry system to enhance productivity and economic returns at the research farm of ICAR-Central Agroforestry Research Institute, Jhansi (Uttar Pradesh), India, which lies in the Bundelkhand region of central India. The 7-year study (2007–2015) recorded 2906 number of bamboo culms ha−1 at 10 m × 10 m spacing compared to 2409 culms under 12 m × 10 m spacing. Averaged over 3 years (5th, 6th and 7th year), bamboo culm yield from agroforestry (Dendrocalamus strictus + Sesamum indicum–Cicer arietinum)/(bamboo + sesame–chickpea) was higher by 3.20 and 4.96% over sole bamboo in 12 m × 10 m and 10 m × 10 m, respectively. The intercrop productivity started declining from 3rd year onwards, and the extent of reduction in productivity was to the tune of 26.1, 23.7, 24.2, 17.4 and 17.4% during the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th year, respectively. From 5th year onwards, the harvested bamboo culms contributed to the improvement in the system productivity and it was 29 and 236% higher than the sole crops and sole bamboo, respectively, during the 7th year. Financial analysis showed that bamboo-based agroforestry system (bamboo + sesame–chickpea) planted at 12 m × 10m spacing was having high land equivalent ratio (1.95–2.14) and was more profitable than arable cropping and sole bamboo. Therefore, the Dendrocalamus strictus-based agroforestry system can be a potential alternative to arable cropping in semi-arid tropics of central India to enhance productivity and economic returns.