Advances in Bamboo Science最新文献

Trinidad and Tobago are important islands to Neotropical woody bamboo taxonomy. Trinidad is a type locality for two widely applied names with poorly defined species concepts: Arthrostylidium pubescens and A. excelsum, and two potentially endemic species: Chusquea cylindrica and Rhipidocladum prestoei. Few resources exist for the islands to adequately identify all the woody bamboo species that putatively grow there. The serialized vascular flora of Trinidad and Tobago (1928–1992), for instance, lacks a treatment for Poaceae. Moreover, the most speciose native genus, Arthrostylidium, is only partially revised, with the emphasis on the South American species and not those of the West Indies. Our objective is to critically review the woody bamboos of Trinidad and Tobago, clarify which species are or have been known from the islands, and provide an identification key, species accounts and distribution maps for the revised list of taxa. We conducted fieldwork campaigns in 2021–2023, and reviewed herbarium specimens and human observation records of woody bamboos from the islands. Newly collected specimens were vouchered and all woody bamboo records were georeferenced and plotted using QGIS. We confirmed two species of native woody bamboo and four species of introduced woody bamboo were extant on Trinidad. An additional three Western Hemisphere species have historic records of occurrence on the islands. Native species diversity correlated well with previously identified floristic hotspots. One introduced species, Bambusa vulgaris, is common on both islands. To the best of our knowledge, there are currently no native woody bamboo species present on Tobago, however, A. pubescens appears to have been growing along the Main Ridge in the past. The historic presence of some species not currently found may be the result of dynamic and/or stochastic colonization events among the islands and mainland South America.

In typical rural house construction, reinforced concrete foundation plates are not commonly used due to economic factors and the high cost of steel, which often results in compromised safety. Bamboo offers an affordable, renewable, CO₂-absorbent material with high tensile strength. This research supported low-income communities by exploring the application of bamboo-reinforced concrete (PB) foundation plates. Technical feasibility, such as load capacity, crack pattern, and failure, were examined and compared with steel-reinforced concrete (PS) plates. Four foundation specimens with dimensions of 70 × 70 × 15 cm³ consisting of three PB foundation plates and one PS foundation were analyzed. The bamboo reinforcement had dimensions of 15 mm × 15 mm, and the steel reinforcement had a diameter of 10 mm. Different spacing variations were tested, including bamboo reinforcement spacings of 100 mm, 125 mm, and 150 mm, with a steel reinforcement spacing of 130 mm. During testing, a concentrated load was applied at the four corners of each foundation. The results showed that the PB foundation plate with a reinforcement spacing of 100 mm exhibited a 3.16% higher load capacity compared to PS foundation plate with a 10 mm reinforcement spaced at 130 mm. The stress zones, crack patterns, and failure modes of the PB foundation plates exhibited similarities to the PS foundation serving as the control. Based on these findings, PB foundation plates are a feasible option for a simple rural house foundation.

The fight against climate change is one of the major concerns of the international community and has led to a search to identify cost-effective ways to manage ecosystems in a way that removes atmospheric carbon-dioxide while providing essential societal benefits. As bamboo ecosystems in Cameroon are poorly known, this study sought to evaluate the distribution of bamboo, develop allometric equations for it and estimate carbon stocks associated with bamboo in the Western Highlands of Cameroon. Landsat 8 OLI imagery was used to increase data on the distribution and carbon stocks of Phyllostachys aurea Carrière ex Rivière & C. Rivière in the study area. P. aurea is reportedly the most exploited species for ecological, socioeconomic and cultural activities in the region, posing a challenge for the sustainability of the species. Twelve circular plots were established in P. aurea stands in the Western Highlands. Five per cent of the bamboo stems were harvested. Every stem was sorted into leaves, branches, and culms. These were weighed, and sub-samples taken to the laboratory. Sub-samples were oven-dried for biomass estimation. Regression analysis was used to develop the allometric equations. The best equation was used to estimate the carbon stocks. The Western Highlands region of Cameroon is estimated to have 241,296 ha of bamboos. The dominant bamboo species identified in the study area include Oldeania alpina (K.Schum.) Stapleton (syn. Yushania alpina K.Schum.), Bambusa vulgaris Schrad. ex J.C.Wendl. and P. aurea. Focusing on P. aurea the best fit equation with a bias of − 6.98%, Adj.R² = 0.711, AIC = 17 and RSE = 0.262, was selected. The mean density of P. aurea was 38,017 ± 4510 culms.ha⁻¹. The mean culm aboveground biomass was 3.15 ± 0.94 kg. The AGB of P. aurea was estimated at 119.05 ± 3.63 t.ha⁻¹, mean AGC was 55.95 ± 5.81 t C.ha⁻¹ and mean aboveground carbon dioxide equivalence (AGCO_2eq) was 205.35 ± 58.01.22 t CO₂.ha⁻¹. P. aurea constitutes a significant carbon sink in the Western Highlands of Cameroon. Policymakers and development planners should therefore recommend this species for carbon markets, international initiatives such as AFR100, and the Nationally Determined Contribution addressing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 13 (SDG13) to combat climate change.

Landscape restoration of degraded mining sites, crucial for agroecology and carbon farming in Ghana, remains poorly understood and underutilized. Bamboo has historically played a role in restoring such sites, but there is a need to integrate circular economy principles fully into harnessing its ecosystem services potential. In this study, we evaluated the impact of biochar and poultry manure amendments on galamsey-degraded mining sites to operationalize circular economy principles in ecosystem restoration, using Bambusa vulgaris as the test crop.

Conducted in the Asikasu mining area of the Amansie Central District of Ashanti, a randomized complete block design (RCBD) experiment was used comprising five treatments: 1) 10 tonnes/ha biochar, 2) 10 tonnes/ha poultry manure, 3) Combined biochar and poultry manure at 10 tonnes/ha each, 4) Galamsey-degraded soil control, and 5) Forest topsoil control. Each treatment and control type was replicated three times. The experiment spanned from February 2020 to March 2021.

The combined application of biochar and poultry manure resulted in the highest root density and average root diameter, demonstrating the potential for restoring galamsey-degraded sites to support bamboo-based agroecology. The elemental profiles of the bamboo varied in response to different treatments, indicating differing availabilities of micro- and macro-nutrients in the soil solution following soil amendments.

This study underscores the viability of circular economy principles in ecosystem restoration, offering a pathway to sustainable land use and agroecological practices in Ghana's mining-impacted landscapes.

Bamboo is one of the important ligno-cellulosic materials available as an alternative to timber. For quality products from round bamboo, drying is an important processing step. Most bamboo species show a propensity to develop defects during drying. In this study, Bambusa tulda bamboo specimens were taken from three heights: top, middle and bottom. Three treatments involved air drying for one, two and three weeks, respectively, followed by microwave vacuum drying (MWVD). A fourth treatment consisted of only the bottom portion of the culms and was dried in MWVD without air drying. A fifth treatment consisted of drying of bamboo (from all three portions top, middle and bottom) in a conventional kiln until defects started to arise, followed by MWVD. The drying rate, variability in final MC%, and the occurrence of defects was evaluated for all the treatments. The results suggest that MWVD is 9–10 times faster than conventional kiln drying. The drying behaviour of the top, middle and bottom portions of the culms differed. Defects were more frequent in the top portion compared to the middle and bottom. Combination drying (kiln drying until defects start to show followed by MWVD) resulted in the least number of defects.

We investigated the factors that determine participation by smallholder farmers’ in the highland bamboo markets in Ethiopia. Our empirical data were drawn from a representative survey of 274 bamboo growers in the Hula and Gummer districts of Southern Ethiopia. A double-hurdle econometric model was used to explain decisions regarding whether to sell highland bamboo and how much to sell. We found that 67% of the farm households in the sample had sold a certain amount of highland bamboo over the 12-month time period. The double-hurdle estimation results suggest that family size, proportion of land allocated to the production of highland bamboo, access to training, off-farm income, market links, bamboo farming experience, and access to market information have positive and significant effects on the decision to sell bamboo as well as on how much to sell. In contrast, households far from all weather-roads had significantly lower bamboo sales than those located nearby. Market participation was also highly correlated with the geographical location of households.

The Wise method, which is known in wood science as a technique for the quantitative analysis of holocellulose, was applied as a pre-treatment to prepare a porous precursor for activated carbon. The precursor has a specific pore size structure derived from the organizational architecture of the natural plant. The lignin in the plant tissue of the bamboo was successfully removed in a stepwise fashion by the Wise method treatment. All the N₂ adsorption isotherms at 77 K for the carbonized samples, including the samples treated by the Wise method, were similar in shape. Specifically, they were type I as classified by IUPAC with low-pressure hysteresis, and there was no specific effect of the selective removal of lignin from the carbonized sample. However, after CO₂ activation for more than 2 h, samples treated with the Wise method had slit pores, which is type H4 as classified by IUPAC. The slit width calculated by the INNES method, which is the theory for slit-type mesopores, was ca. 2.5 nm. When samples delignified by more than 60% were activated by CO₂ for 3 h, the percentage of the micropores in the total pores was ca. 40%. Samples treated by the Wise method for the stepwise selective removal of lignin, should enable pore structure derived from plant tissue to be controlled in the activated carbon.

This study evaluated the tensile properties of fibres from Pseudoxytenanthera ritcheyi and P. stocksii, with reference to the more commonly used Bambusa balcooa, in order to determine their viability as reinforcements in structural composite materials. Tensile tests were conducted on individual fibres under three distinct moisture conditions: ambient conditions, desiccated (fully dry) conditions, and saturated conditions for both untreated and chemically treated fibres. The investigation focused on comparing the axial tensile modulus and ultimate strength of bamboo fibres with varying gauge lengths. Notably, fracture morphology analysis using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) allowed a comprehensive correlation between natural fibre characteristics and their mechanical properties. A water absorption study was also conducted on these fibres. Additionally, thermogravimetric analysis was performed to assess the thermal stability of the fibres. The results indicate that Pseudoxytenanthera species exhibit promising potential for the development of high-performance, sustainable materials within the realm of composite materials. This research contributes to expanding the understanding of bamboo fibres and their suitability as reinforcements in structural composites, thus promoting advances in the field of composite material engineering.

This study was undertaken to understand the anti-oxidative properties of products of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic origin derived from bamboo shoots of seven species, namely Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, Phyllostachys bambusoides, Bambusa tulda, Dendrocalamus giganteus, Bambusa pallida, Bambusa balcooa, and Gigantochola macrostachya, as well as three processed bamboo shoot products, namely Hidung (roasted and partially fermented shoot) Eup (moist fermented shoot), and Ekung (dried fermented shoot). The latter three products are widely consumed by the tribal people of Arunachal Pradesh, India. Catalase enzyme activities (CAT) among the shoots were significantly different (F = 18.574, P < 0.001) with the highest values being in B. balcooa and P. bambusoides (2.7 units/g sample) and the lowest in G. macrostachya (0.9 units/g sample), respectively. Peroxidase GPX activity among the shoots and processed products was also significantly different (F= 17.996, P < 0.001 and F= 8.75, P < 0.05, respectively) with a range of between 125.6 and 239.6 GPX units/g for fresh and 170.7–180.3 GPX units/g for processed products. Ascorbic acid contents in the tender shoots of all the species and processed products ranged from 2.35 to 6.1 mg/100 g for fresh tender shoots and 2.23–5.61 mg/100 g for processed products. Chlorogenic acid (CGA) content was estimated to be 0.22–1.16 mg/100 g for fresh material and 0.24–0.26 mg/100 g for processed products. Fresh tender shoots had higher antioxidative properties of both enzymatic and non-enzymatic origin than fermented and processed forms. Higher antioxidant levels were observed in partially fermented Hidung than in the other two processed forms. Bamboo shoots and their processed forms have an adequate level of antioxidant characteristics, making them a nutritious meal that may be included in a healthy diet plan.

The flowering of woody bamboos has remained an enduring mystery over time. Woody bamboos can persist in a vegetative state for up to 150 years. Among these intriguing flowering bamboos are the Guadua species. Guadua, a Neotropical genus of woody bamboos, is native to the Americas and comprises 34 species. In Mexico, there are seven native species, and their flowering cycles continue to puzzle researchers. These species are primarily found in the southeastern part of the country, often along rivers and bodies of water. Presently, many of these species face threats from cattle grazing and agricultural activities, including sugarcane production. To unravel the mystery of Guadua species flowering, we conducted a thorough review of Mexico's primary herbaria and online records, complete with digital images. Through our investigation, we have identified a total of 69 flowering events spanning over a century of history for six out of the seven Guadua species in Mexico. Mexican Guadua species exhibit sporadic flowering patterns, with one species, Guadua paniculata, displaying gregarious mass flowering. Furthermore, four of the six species flower at intervals of 30–34 years. Understanding the reproductive biology of Guadua is of paramount importance for the long-term preservation of these species. Our research sheds light on one of nature's deepest secrets and underscores the critical significance of their conservation.