Why bamboo is helpful to our environment
Bamboo minimizes CO2 gases and generates up to 35% more oxygen then equivalent stand of trees.
1 hectar of bamboo sequesters 62 tons of CO2/year
1 hectar of young forest sequesters 15 tons of CO2/year
How it works
Bamboo removes CO2 from the atmosphere through photosynthesis by using carbon as an energy source and converting it into plant tissue which releases oxygen (O2) as a by-product.
Bamboo…
• helps retain water in the watershed
• can be harvested annually
• needs no replanting after harvesting
• is an effective erosion control plant and natural control barrier due to its widespread root system and large canopy
• reduces runoff, prevents massive soil erosion
• sustains riverbanks
• Grows very quickly
• helps mitigate water pollution due to its high nitrogen consumption
• requires little attention during its growing/production cycle
• is well suited to guerrilla gardening and the maintenance of healthy ecosystems
• Easily propagated and grown on
How bamboo grows
The bamboo stems emerge from the ground as buds with the same diameter as the final stem. All they do is grow longer in much the same way as a telescope, extending at a very rapid rate that can be in excess of a meter a day in a mature stand. When the culm is around three quarters to two thirds tall the elongation will tend to taper. However, they will remain the same diameter and possibly only grow another 10% taller as they mature over the next twelve months. When the culm has reached full height branches will start to appear and depending on species a new shoot can be fully developed within three months. During the shooting stage the new culm will be at least 85% water and it is imperative that sufficient water is supplied to fill these vertical liquid columns. If timber is to be harvested, there will at least a three year wait for the water content to diminish, thus allowing the tensile strength to increase.
Why grow bamboo?
As a natural and renewable resource bamboo offers an opportunity to turn away from the destruction of native forests towards managed plantations that can be selectively harvested annually without the destruction of the grove or stand. Tree plantations obviously have to be chopped down and their nutrient arrest terminated at harvest. Bamboo keeps on keeping on, with edible shoots capable of extraction after less than five years.
Special characteristics of bamboo
Bamboo is one of the most important nature’s substitute for the endangered rainforest hardwoods. It is a quick-growing, versatile , non-timber forest product whose rate of biomass generation is unsurpassed by any other plants. With a 10-30 % annual increase in biomass versus 2-5 % for trees, bamboo creates greater yields of raw material for use. It is utilized extensively for a wide range of purposes. The strength of the culms, their straightness, smoothness, lightness combined with hardness and greater hollowness; the facility and regularity with which they can be split; the different sizes, various lengths and thickness of their joints make them suitable for numerous end products/purposes. The versatility of bamboo outmatches most tree species. It is known to be a natural and excellent raw material for manufacturing strong and sturdy furniture, handicrafts, and novelty items.
Source:
www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/cin/bamboonet/faqs - uses.htm
www.bamboocentral.com
www.prima-klima-weltweit.de
J.Janssen, Technical University Eindhoven, 2000
www.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/cin/bamboonet/faqs - uses.htm
www.bamboocentral.com
www.prima-klima-weltweit.de
J.Janssen, Technical University Eindhoven, 2000
