Designing and Evaluating Bamboo Harvesting Methods for Local Needs: Integrating Local Ecological Knowledge and Science

Abstract

Dendrocalamus hamiltonii, a large, clump-forming bamboo, has great potential to contribute towards poverty alleviation efforts across its distributional range. Harvesting methods that maximize yield while they fulfill local objectives and ensure sustainability are a research priority. Documenting local ecological knowledge on the species and identifying local users’ goals for its production, we defined three harvesting treatments (selective cut, horseshoe cut, clear cut) and experimentally compared them with a no-intervention control treatment in an action research framework. We implemented harvesting over three seasons and monitored annually and two years post-treatment. Even though the total number of culms positively influenced the number of shoots regenerated, a much stronger relationship was detected between the number of culms harvested and the number of shoots regenerated, indicating compensatory growth mechanisms to guide shoot regeneration. Shoot recruitment declined over time in all treatments as well as the control; however, there was no difference among harvest treatments. Culm recruitment declined with an increase in harvesting intensity. When univariately assessing the number of harvested culms and shoots, there were no differences among treatments. However, multivariate analyses simultaneously considering both variables showed that harvested output of shoots and culms was higher with clear cut and horseshoe cut as compared to selective cut. Given the ease of implementation and issues of work safety, users preferred the horseshoe cut, but the lack of sustainability of shoot production calls for investigating longer cutting cycles.

Bamboo: A Source of Multiple Uses for Adoption as an Alternative Livelihood in Odisha, India

“…The matured culms were used by artisans (Figure 3i and j) to make a variety of handicraft products including small-baskets for sowing rice, bigbaskets for fodder collection and carrying manure, winnowing trays (winnowing food grains), round-basket for winnowing of parched paddy colloquially called mudhi and khai, small-baskets with a handle for the offering of fruits and flowers to deities during different festivals, hand fans and many others as depicted in Figure 3k-o and 4a-j. The present result substantiates the findings of Patel (2005), Singh (2008), Teron & Borthakur (2012), Darabant et al (2016), Maulana et al (2017), Sharma et al (2018) and Nongkynrih et al (2019). In our study, leaves were widely used as fodder for domestic animals.…”

Growth response of Dendrocalamus asper on elevational variation and intra-clump spacing management

“…Meanwhile, space availability needs an adjustment due to the implication of overcutting or clear-cutting methods that issue a problem (Virtucio and Tomboc (1994) cited in Bahru and Ding 2020). Higher harvesting intensity affects culm recruitment in D. hamiltonii (Banik 2016;Darabant et al 2016;. Although the harvesting treatment would provide more space for new shoots, the emergence of new culm did not occur due to the absence of mother culm.…”

Factorial Classification of Consumers for Bamboo-based Products in Haiti: Importance and Perceived Benefits

“…This study used ten items considered five items describing the importance of bamboo and five items for the perceived benefits of bamboo. From the importance application we have: profitable, feasible, acceptable, available, and success that described in the questionnaire by statements may explain the variable measurement (Darabant, Rai, Staudhammer, & Dorji, 2016;Lobovikov, 2003). From the perceived benefit we have: economic, social, environment, technology, and security also describe by some statements may explain the variables measurement (Ben-zhi et al, 2005;Lobovikov, 2003;Scurlock, Dayton, & Hames, 2000).…”