Moso bamboo introduction

Moso Bamboo Growth's Ecological Requirement and Its

Potential Introduction Zones

(A paper presented in International bamboo workshop of 99' Chinese Bamboo Festival, October in Yiyang, Hunan province, China)

Jinhe Fu

University Goettingen, Institute of Silviculture, Tropical Silviculture,

Buesgenweg 1, 37077 Goettingen, Germany.

Email: jfu@gwdg.de

Homepage: Bamboo Bambus Zhuzi (http://www.oocities.org/zhuzi.geo/)

Abstract

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) is the most important bamboo species in China. In China there is 4 million ha bamboo forest. Moso bamboo has more than 2.7 million ha, about 2 % of the Chinese total forest area. It is the main bamboo species for bamboo timber and bamboo shoot production, naturally it plays a very important role for ecological environment. Since 18 centuries it has been introduced to Japan, America, Australia and Europe. This paper will describe the main ecological requirements of moso bamboo growth and point out its selecting standards for some potential introduction zones in the world.

Moso bamboo's distribution in China

The natural habitat of Ph. Pubesces extends approx. 23°30'--32°20' N and 104°30'--122° E. Those provinces are Fujian, Hunan, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Anhui, Hubei, Sichuan, Jiangsu, Guizhou, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and Shan'xi. The central forest area of Ph. Pubescens is between 25°--30° N and 110°--122° E. 81.2% of the total moso bamboo forest area is in province Fujian, Hunan, Zhejiang and Jiangxi. Fig.1 gives the distribution map of moso bamboo in China (Forest Planning Office of Forestry Ministry 1992).

Widrlechner (1997) published "Hardness Zones in China". In comparison with the hardness zones, moso bamboo is located in zone 7, 8, 9 and 10. Zone 7, 8, 9 and 10 have mean annual minimum temperature -17.7-- -12.3, -12.2-- -16.7, -6.6-- -1.2 and -1.1--4.4 °C respectively. But the central distribution zone is in zone 9 and 8.

At its vertical distribution moso bamboo distributes higher in connected mountains than in isolated mountain, as well as higher in higher mountain than in lower mountain. It grows at elevations between 10-1700 m above sea level, most of the area is less than 800 m and in the hills and mountains.

Moso bamboo distributes mainly in hills and mountains in the form of pure stands or mixed stands, and is planted sporadically on plain and platform. The best suitable distribution is in the low mountains with the sea level of 500 -- 800 m.

Moso bamboo was introduced into Japan in 1736, Europe in 1880, the United States about 1890. Now the moso bamboo has more than 50,000 ha in Japan. In the future moso bamboo forest area will be enlarged both in China and other suitable countries.

Moso bamboo' ecological requirement

Climate

Moso bamboo distributes in subtropical monsoon climate zone (in summer it is high temperature and rainy; in winter it is cold and dry). The mean annual temperature varies 15--21° C, with mean temperature of the coldest month being 1--12° C, mean annual minimum temperature is -1.2 to -18°C, and that of the warmest month 26--29° C. Moso bamboo can withstand - 18 °C in the winter. The annual precipitation is between 800--1800 mm. The restricted factors for moso' distribution are the annual precipitation (<800 mm) and minimum temperature in winter in the north, and the mean annual temperature (>21° C) and drought in spring in the south. High temperature in winter causes a not complete hibernation and spring drought makes shooting difficult.

Rainfall allocation is also a key factor for moso bamboo growth. It is optimal for moso bamboo when the rainfall reaches 400 - 600 mm by shooting time. March to May is the fast growth time for shoot and new culm, it needs a vast amount of water. In moso bamboo central distribution zone, rain season, the time of shooting, and new culm growth are identical. July to September is the time of rhizome growth and shoot bud division. When it has drought, few shoot buds will divide and conduct, consequently few shoots will develop in the next spring.

Soil and geology

In moso bamboo distribution zone the soil types are red soil ® yellow soil ® yellowish-brown soil from the south to north or from low elevation to high elevation. Red soil is the dominant soil type in this area. The suitable conditions are as follows:

60 cm deep fertile loam, pH = 4.5 - 7.0

moist but specially having not accumulated water in soil

When salt content > 0.1% or pH > 8.0, moso bamboo grows badly.

Topography refers mainly direction of slope, gradient and elevation. South slope is better than north slope, southeast slope better than northwest slope. Mountain valley, the foot of a mountain, and gentle slope are suitable to moso bamboo growth. Most of moso bamboo allocate under 800 m elevation.

Criteria and potential introduction area

There are two standards for selecting moso bamboo introduction zones. One is for that moso bamboo can grow normally as in its natural distribution zones in China. This requires very suitable ecological conditions. The zones with very suitable site conditions are the potential development zones for moso plantation. The other standard is for those sites which have similar ecological environment as in marginal distribution zones of moso bamboo in China, or by improving micro-environment , for example by irrigation and soil improvement moso bamboo can be introduced successfully. But this paper will only prefer moso bamboo introduction in large area.

Walter has published "Climate Diagrams of the world "(1967) and " Climate zone of the world" (1990). They are very useful to determine the potential moso bamboo introduction zones in the world.

By Water's diagrams of climate zone of the world, moso bamboo grows mainly in zone V (warm temperate, humid), a small area in VI (arid-humid). According to the principle of climatic similarity, so all climate zones V in the world are assumed as potential introduction zones, when their minimum temperature is over -18°C, but mean coldest monthly temperature is not higher than about 12°C.

Liang (1982) put forward that careful matching of local climatic rhythm with the seasonal rhythm of bamboo growth is of crucial importance not only to the full development of culms but also to their regeneration.

Potential introduction zones in the world

By the ecological classification map of the continent, moso bamboo distributes in V, partly in V-II and VI (see diagram ), simply we supposed that all V zones in the world are the possible introduction zones. They are the following countries: Japan, Korea, Southeast Australia, New Zealand, Southeast America, South Brazil, Central-South Chile, Northeast Spain, South France, North Algeria, North Iran, South Africa, Italy.

Later checking up the ecological requirement of moso bamboo, for example, minimum temperature in winter > -18°C, annual precipitation > 800 mm, monthly rainfall > 100 mm in shooting and new culm growth time, not dry in shoot bud division time, the coldest monthly temperature < 13°C, soil pH between 4.5-8.0 and enough illumination.

If one region has this similar site conditions, then this region can be regarded as potential introduction regions at large scale of planting. If some site conditions are not such suitable for moso natural growth, some man-made methods can be conducted to successfully introduce moso bamboo in the region.

Literature

Compiling commission of Chinese tree annals,1981, The silviculture technology of Chinese main tree species, China forestry publishing house.

Farrely, D., 1984, The book of Bamboo, Sierra club books.

Liang, T.R., 1982, Theory in introducing bamboos with the rhythm of ecological factors, Journal of bamboo research, 1(1).

Liu, J.P., 1987, A studa on climatic zoning in Phyllostachys pubescens distribution range, Journal of bamboo research, 6(3).

Walter, R., Breckle, S.-W., 1984, Ökologie der Erde, Band 2: Spezielle Ökologie der tropischen und subtropischen Zonen, Gustav Fisher Verlag.

Wan, Q.H, Wang, B.H., 1996, Chinese moso bamboo, Zhejian scientific and technological publishing house.

Wildrlechner, M., 1997, Hardness zones in China, Iowa State University.