Bamboo flowering in Mizoram:
An ecological Analysis and
management of resources
F. Lalnunmawia
Dept. of Botany, Mizoram University
Aizawl - 796004, India
Bamboo Resources of the North
East India
About 50 percent of India’s bamboo resources are in the
North Eastern India.
There are 63 species of 20 genera in the region.
This is 50 percent of India’s bamboo species and 87
percent genera.
Bamboo Resource of Mizoram
Total Area of Mizoram : 21,087 Sq. Km
Total area of bamboo forest 7091.66 Sq.Km
(33.63% of total
geographical area)
(Source: Mizoram Remote Sensing Application
Centre, Aizawl.)
Number of bamboo species found: 25 species
Melocanna baccifera : about 80 %
Other bamboos : about 20 %
Bamboo flowering in Mizoram
Bamboo in flower Name of bamboo Years
flowering
B. tulda; D. longispathus Thingtam 1880-1884
Melocanna baccifera Mautam 1910-1912
B. tulda; D. longispathus Thingtam 1928-1929
Melocanna baccifera Mautam 1958-1959
B. tulda; D. longispathus Thingtam 1976-1977
Melocanna baccifera Mautam 2007-2010
Bamboo flowering and rodents’
population outbreak
The rodents’ population study was carried out in
paddy fields for 3 years(2006 -2008)
10 cages and 20 local traps provided to one family
5 families in each village
3 villages in each district
A total of 9 villages and 45 families in 3 districts
Random sampling adopted
% species-wise abundance
R
at
tu
B N s
Rattus rattus (Black rat)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
er iviv rat
ul e tu
m nt s
Le ys er
m sp
100 90.04
op ac p
ol ke
da
m M zie
is us i
B ed s
an w pp
di a
co T rds
ta up ae
D be ai a
re n
m g h gli
om a s
C ys len
C an r sis
hi n uf
ro om i g
po y en
do s is
R m b a
Different spp of rodents)
at is di u
tu g
Rode nt s pe cie s
s l ir s
no oi
R rv de s
R att eg
hi us ic
zo u
m ex s
i s ula
pr n
ui s
no
Species –wise abundance of rodents
su
s
2.54 1.92 1.59 0.72 0.57 0.43 0.19 0.31 0.13 0.09 0.04 0.04
Tupaia glis
Population increase of rodents in paddy fields during 2006-
08
1400
1200
No.of rodents captured
1000
800 2006
2007
600 2008
400
200
0
Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Months
Pictorial representation to show the
potential increase of black rats during
bamboo flowering
312
62 (32 weeks) 1662
2
12 (19 weeks) 3rd pulse 45 weeks
6 weeks 2nd Pulse 4th Pulse
Black
Rats
Harvest time of maize, paddy and other crops
synchronizes with the so estimated 3rd and the 4th
pulse of rats
Synchronization of bamboo flowering with rodent
outbreak
October / November -- Flowering of bamboo starts
January / February – Seeds production starts
Till June - Seeds remain available for rats
July on wards - Seeds are geminated and becomes inedible
2000 Attack
1800
maize
1600 Attacks Population
1400 Early
1200
decreases
maturing in exhaust
1000
rice
800
Rats start of food
600
400
multiplying
200
0
Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
Why do rodents increase ?
Abundance of food Natural irruptions triggered by
rainfall and rain induced food
availability
Increased fertility
Rats lose
of female
desire to eat pups
Higher survival of the litters
Leads to massive production of
individual in successive generation in short time
Bamboo seed production and
regeneration
Different management practices -
Harvesting intensity, age of the culms,
cleaning, fire etc
A study was conducted on the influence of
excessive disturbance and fire on the
culms density, size and seed size and
production rate.
Table showing different growth parameters of bamboo (Melocanna
baccifera) under different conditions
Parameters Undisturbed Disturbed Burned
(Biotic pressure) (bamboo area)
Culm Density 140.33 82.67 119.67
(No. of culms per (±20.03) (±23.16) (±19.86)
25m2)
Diameter of culm (mm) 27.4 23.6 26.3
(±0.39) (±0.71) (±0.51)
No. of seeds produced 12.89 8.72 16.33
in one culm (±2.77) (±1.23) (±6.22)
No. of seeds produced 1771.39 709.84 2698.48
per quadrat (25m2) (±299.95) (±171.96) (±311.31)
Avg. weight of fruits 118.98 90.48 72.35
(gm) (±6.96) (±7.80) (±2.78)
# Figures in the parenthesis are Standard Deviations.
Bamboo seed production in different sites
3000
No. of seeds per quadrat
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0
Disturbed Undisturbed Burned
The regenerating bamboo seedlings require
protection from fire and overgrazing.
Bamboo based agroforestry
Bamboo-based agroforestry could be a viable system to
rehabilitate degraded lands, and to decrease pressure
over the natural bamboo forests
Bamboo can be used to repair soil damaged by
overgrazing, shifting cultivation, erosions etc.
Bamboo resource availability in Mizoram
Bamboos are seldom harvested from the steep slopes or
inaccessible areas in the forest.
It has been estimated that only about 20-30 percent of
bamboo area is accessible and as a result the resources of the
steep slopes and inaccessible areas remain untapped.
Labourers are always tempted to harvest bamboos from the
easily accessible areas, usually from the banks of perennial
streams (chara).
Therefore, bamboos are over exploited in these accessible
areas. Overexploitation causes a gradual degeneration in
health and sizes of the bamboos.
Threats to natural bamboo forests in
Mizoram
Shifting cultivation, agricultural extension,
expansion of manmade forests.
Biotic factors such as fire and grazing.
The unscientific harvest and management of
bamboo.
Lack of efforts to take up compensatory planting
of bamboo.
Key Efforts Needed
Strong capacity development initiative
- Skills, Entrepreneurial Ability, Market Orientation
Federated approach to production and marketing
Overall involvement of artisans in sector from casual/marginal
to continuing basis
Induction of appropriate technology value addition of bamboo
Induction of Livelihood Finance agency for credit
Build strength in domestic market before considering exports
Subsidy on transport through policy support
“Bamboo is a Green Gold”
THANK YOU