Bamboo has a promising future in a world where environmental enhancement and forest protection have become priority concerns. From time immemorial bamboo has proven to be a reliable material with numerous practical applications. In the 21st century it will be an increasingly valuable commodity that will be cultivated and industrially processed. We can therefore expect to find more bamboo products on the market and more bamboo materials and furniture in our homes.
Although most bamboos are woody plants, they technically belong to the Gramineae family that is comprised of 75 genera and 1250 species of bamboo. Bamboos range from herbaceous varieties that are about 20 cm tall to giant tropical varieties reaching 30 metres in height and 30 cm in diameter near the base. The diversity of bamboo species makes it adaptable to many environments. They inhabit tropical and subtropical areas, with a few varieties reaching into temperate areas.
Bamboo is a self-regenerating natural resource. When bamboo culms are harvested, new shoots emerge and replace them in a matter of months. Compared to trees that can only be harvested in rotations of several years, bamboo can be harvested annually. The rapid growth of bamboo means more harvests to ensure sustainable supplies.
To analyse annual stem production and yield projections for a bamboo plantation, it is important to understand how bamboo grows. Since bamboo is a type of grass, the growth and formation of a bamboo forest or plantation is very different than that of trees.
A bamboo plant consists out of roots, a rhizome, a culm, branches, and leaves. Such individual bamboo plants form a clump and different clumps form a forest or plantation.
The size and physical dimensions of the bamboo species to be planted is an important factor to determine the planting density. Higher densities (closer spacing) are suitable for smaller-sized bamboos, and lower densities (more spaced out) are suitable for larger-sized bamboos.
If the bamboo plants are spaced too far apart, the plantation will suffer from canopy exposure, loss of soil moisture through evaporation, and competition from weeds and other vegetation. An excessively dense plantation will lead to bamboo plants competing amongst themselves for light, space, soil moisture and nutrients.
Giant bamboos with thick walls are best for heavy duty construction such as multi-storey houses and bridges whereas smaller diameter bamboos or large bamboos with thinner walls are only suited for light or temporary structures. For construction purposes, wall thickness, density and fibre strength are the most important properties for greatest structural strength.