Priority species of bamboo and rattan - Bioversity International

Introduction
A Consultative Meeting to identify priority species of bamboo and rattan was held
from 6–9 December 1993 at the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education,
Dehra Dun, by kind invitation of Dr D N Tewari, Director General.
The Meeting was held under the auspices of INBAR (International Network for
Bamboo and Rattan) and IBPGR (International Board for Plant Genetic Resources). Two
other international organizations participated : FORTIP (UNDP/FAO Regional Projects
on Improved Productivity of Man-Made Forests through Application of Technological
Advances in Tree Breeding and Propagation) and ICIMOD (International Centre for
Integrated Mountain Development). A list of participants is given in Appendix 1.
Participants included experts in the field of bamboo and rattan taxonomy,
sylviculture and variation. Additionally, advice on priority species had been solicited
by INBAR from a number of national programmes and their data were made available
to the meeting.
Current knowledge lists about 75 genera and 1250 species of bamboo. About 75%
of these species are used locally for one or many purposes, and about 50 species are
used extensively. There are about 600 rattan species, in 13 genera, of which virtually
all are used locally but only about 50 are used regularly and commercially.
In order to enhance production, especially against a background of over exploitation,
INBAR’s research networking requires a much sharper focus on a limited number of
high priority species. Past research has focused on better understanding of the resource
base and better processing and utilisation of products. Current opinion is that the most
urgent tasks are to increase production in cultivation and to sustainably manage
natural stands so that resources are adequately available.
In view of the very large number of species and their diverse geographical ranges
and ecologies, focus also has to be given to the conservation of genepools of more
useful species. There is no one easy applicable method for conservation, and appropriate
technology has to be developed which can be effectively used in a complementary
conservation strategy for bamboo and rattan genetic resources. IPGRI recognizes that
to conduct strategic research in this area requires clear focus on a limited number of
high priority taxa.
Experts at the meeting agreed upon criteria for selection of species and their
prioritization, categorized levels of priority for identified priority species and made
recommendations on urgent tasks to be undertaken upon these species.
Need for revision
The publication of “Priority Species of Bamboo and Rattan” aroused much interest
among bamboo and rattan researchers and conservationists. Many suggested that rating,
evaluation and domestication need to be changed for certain species listed in Tables 1
and 2. Some of them felt that too few species had been included in the lists omitting
a number of others that are yet traditionally used in many countries. Many suggested
that bamboos growing in the colder climates like Arundinaria spp. should be included
since many of them provide fodder, building and biomass materials for people living
at very high altitudes. Still others thought there was not enough emphasis accorded to
the real woody genera like Gigantochloa, Guadua, Phyllostachys sp., since they are the
primary sources for building construction, wood and paper industries. Additions and
amendments are made to cover many of the above points and to accommodate a wider
coverage of greater number of economically important species and to provide more
technical details on them. More species are included in the revised text, at the same time
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