I think that governments in those countries most impacted by the
deforestation of bamboo should implement reforestation programs at the cost
of those who are harvesting the bamboo.
As quickly as it grows, it would seem that reforestation of bamboo would not
be the logistical challenge that reforestation of trees is.
Just a thought.
Thanks for sharing that, Riley.
--Tim Cassler Toolbox Studios, Inc. 454 Soledad, Suite 100 San Antonio, TX 78205
210.225.8269 x111 fax.225.8200
> From: Riley Lee <riley@rileylee.net> > Reply-To: Shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu > Date: Tue, 11 May 2004 22:00:50 +1000 > To: Shakuhachi Group <shakuhachi@communication.ucsd.edu> > Subject: [Shaku] article in Sydney Morning Herald > > Hello all. This article appeared in today's Sydney Morning Herald > newspaper. :-( > Riley > > Bamboo extinction warning > May 11, 2004 - 4:41PM > > Pa > Deforestation is endangering about a third of the world's 1200 bamboo > species and threatening rare animals such as giant pandas and mountain > gorillas that depend on the plants for food and protection. > > A joint report released today by the United Nations Environment > Programme (UNEP) and the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan > (INBAR) warned that it would also harm a $US2 billion ($A2.86 billion) > a year bamboo industry and the millions of people who use the plants > for food, housing, furniture and handicrafts. > > "There are about 1200 species of bamboo in the world and we think about > a third of those may be threatened by the reduction of forest habitat > within their ranges," Valerie Kapos, co-author of the study and > ecologist at the UNEP World Monitoring Centre in Cambridge, eastern > England, told Reuters. > > The report called Bamboo Diversity is the most comprehensive analysis > to date of the impact of deforestation on bamboo species. > > "It is the first time anyone has done this systematic assessment where > they have worked all the way through a group of species and worked > specifically at distribution and remaining habitat," Kapos said. > > The fates of Asia's giant pandas, which eat only bamboo, Africa's > mountain gorillas, Madagascar's golden lemurs and the mountain tapir in > South America as well as other animal and bird species are linked to > bamboo. > > "All over the world there are animals that are very, very closely > connected with bamboo," said Kapos. "The mountain gorilla in Africa, at > some times of the year, get between 70-90 percent of their diet from > bamboo shoots." > > Bamboo, which is a giant, woody grass, is called the "wood of the poor" > in India and the "friend of the people" in China because of its diverse > use in everything from food and cooking to furniture, paper, musical > instruments, boats and houses. > > A single bamboo clump can produce up to 15km of usable pole in its > lifetime, according to INBAR. > > Kapos, who described the report as a global wake-up call, used existing > knowledge about the range of bamboo species and combined it with > current forest distribution to determine the impact of deforestation on > bamboo species. > > She and her colleagues identified 250 woody bamboo species that have > less than 2000 sq km of forest remaining within their growing range. It > also pinpointed areas of high concentrations of bamboo in southern > China, Madagascar and parts of the southeast Amazon and Atlantic forest > of Brazil. > > "Now we need to look much more closely at the dynamics of what is going > on. We need to look more closely at the processes that are threatening > the species, determine which species are the most threatened and take > conservation action in the areas where those species are concentrated," > Kapos said. > > Reuters > > > Sound of Bamboo > PO Box 939, Manly NSW 1655, Australia > tel. +612 9976 6904 fax +612 9976 6905 > mobile +612 414 626 453 > www.rileylee.net > >
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