When we talk about bamboo forest ecosystems, what kind of images come to mind? Is it the bamboo forest (Phyllostachys chinensis) where the protagonists of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon fought in mid-air? Or is it the tall bamboo clumps (perhaps Phyllostachys latifolia, Phyllostachys thornyii) growing in courtyards and suburbs? Or is it the bamboo forest at a higher altitude? There are many mountainous areas, such as the arrow bamboo grassland (Phyllostachys edulis) in Yangmingshan and the arrow bamboo grassland (Phyllostachys yushanensis) in Hehuanshan. Bamboo seems to have a vivid image in people's minds, but if you look deeper, its appearance is actually quite diverse, and sometimes even difficult to distinguish. Bamboo is distributed in a wide range of environments, from tropical to temperate zones, and from low altitudes to medium to high altitude mountainous areas. There are more than 1,600 recorded bamboo species (121 genera). Due to the close connection between bamboo and human life, many ways of classifying and describing bamboo forests have developed.
● Classification based on underground stem structure：
-
Underground stems sympodial clumps (e.g., Bamboo, Long-branched Bamboo)
-
The stem shanks are out of the sympodial cluster type (such as the Yushan bamboo)
-
Underground stems grow horizontally and laterally, and grow in clusters with sympodial stems (e.g., sheathed bamboo)
-
The underground stems grow horizontally and laterally, with single stems scattered (such as Phyllostachys montanum)
● Classification based on flowering cycle：
-
Annual, flowering bamboo (Indocalamus wightianus; Ochlandra spp.)
-
Sporadic or irregular flowering bamboo (Chimonobambusa spp.; Dendrocalamus hamiltonii)
-
Bamboos that have a long flowering cycle and bloom in a large area at the same time (most common bamboo forests belong to this category)
Similar to many other types of "grass," bamboo grows until it flowers, produces seeds, and then dies.
● Bamboo forests can also be roughly divided into natural bamboo forests and artificially planted bamboo forests. Artificially planted bamboo forests can be classified according to many different criteria：
-
Classification of usage: Comprehensive utilization by farmers (e.g. thorny bamboo by farmers) \ Industrial use
-
Species composition: monoculture \ mixed cultivation
-
Business objectives: production, ecological conservation (e.g. slope protection, vegetation planning for degraded land, etc.)
-
Management intensity: extensive management (e.g. bamboo forest management) \ intensive management (e.g. bamboo shoot production)
-
Ownership: public \ corporate \ private
-
Business scale: large and continuous \ small and scattered
The classification of rhizome structure or flowering cycle is mainly from the botanical perspective of bamboo forests. The classification of artificial bamboo forests provides a glimpse into the diversity of bamboo forest ecosystem services. Ecosystem services refer to "the benefits that humans obtain from the ecosystem", that is, the benefits that bamboo forests bring to humans. But before talking about the benefits, we also need to note that bamboo may not always bring benefits, and sometimes it may cause ecological crises.
Because bamboo is easy to use and has many uses, since ancient times when humans migrated and developed new settlements, they also brought these useful plants to all parts of the world. The study found that 232 bamboo species (about 14% of recorded bamboo species) have appeared outside their native range. Of these, 12 are classified as invasive. For example, the Phyllostachys montanum of the genus Phyllostachys has strong vitality and strong expansion ability. With factors such as artificial planting for economic incentives or abandonment after planting, the Phyllostachys montanum forest may gradually spread to the surrounding forests, thereby destroying and replacing other types of surrounding ecosystems. system, forming a pure forest of Phyllostachys mongoliae with a single plant species. This phenomenon is a common and thorny problem in Japan. Similar phenomena can also be observed in the mountainous areas of central Taiwan (however, the bamboo prefers a cool environment and grows mostly at an altitude of 1000m~1800m in Taiwan. Therefore, it is limited by the mountains and is currently It doesn’t seem to have caused any serious problems yet).
The invasion of plants and animals has long been a very thorny problem in this era of frequent international exchanges and fragile ecology. Bamboo is known as a green and environmentally friendly material, and economic activities have emerged with it, bringing about a new trend of bamboo industry in various countries. However, we should be cautious when it comes to the import and export of bamboo species and the decision-making of planting management. attitude.
2.The history of human life as friends of bamboo < Previous ，Next > 4.Bamboo Forest Ecosystem Service
Bamboo Knowledge Base Related Articles Extended Reading