Authors:Walter Liese
Abstract:Bamboo is often considered as a plant with an extraordinary potential for carbon sequestration and therefore for mitigating climatic change. This paper argues that bamboo is not likely to be better than trees, and that, much more research is needed to establish the true potential of bamboo for carbon sequestration. The assumption of bamboo ís high sequestration potential is derived mainly from the fast growth of the individual culm during its expansion phase. However, the impressive biomass of young culm does not originate from its own photosynthesis, but derives from the energy produced by older culms in previous years and stored as carbohydrates in their culms and rhizome system. At the beginning of the growing season this energy will be mobilized and transported to the growing culm. The individual culm has a limited lifetime of 7-10 years, and thereafter its biomass and the carbon contained will be deteriorated biologically into its origins, among them also CO2, released into the atmosphere. Furthermore, the gregarious flowering of some species, often world-wide and followed by their death, can constitute a massive CO2 production. On the other hand, prolonged sequestration of carbon is provided through the great variety of bamboo products that range from the manifold constructions to pulp; many of these uses serve the daily needs of over 1.5 billion people. Although the carbon sequestration of bamboo forests is not likely to influence the mitigation of global warming as much as some protagonists have been arguing, the importance of bamboo forests and plantations for an environment-friendly and sustainable production of food, fibre and energy, and their environmental services including soil stability and waste-water management, important for adaption to climate change are undisputed.
Keywords:Bamboo, CO2, sequestration, biomass, life cycle, bamboo products.