Bamboo is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the Poaceae family and the Bamboo genus. Its stems are mostly woody and also herbaceous, with a slightly hollow center, numerous and dense nodes, and a normal height of 5-10 meters. Some can even reach over 40 meters; Bamboo leaves are narrow and lanceolate, with a dark green surface; Bamboo flowers resemble rice ears, with a main color of yellow; The flowering period is usually in May and the fruiting period is in October. The name of bamboo comes from its ancient Chinese characters, which depict drooping bamboo leaves and later evolved into the current Chinese character bamboo.
Bamboo is native to China and is abundant in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. It is widely cultivated in China, mainly in Hunan, Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, and other regions. It is also distributed in some countries in Asia, Africa, and North America worldwide. Bamboo prefers warm and humid climates, with high requirements for hydrothermal conditions. It prefers fertile soil with good drainage and slightly acidic soil rich in organic matter and mineral elements. Most bamboo species prefer warm and humid climates, which are abundant in tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions. Bamboo is one of the forest resources. There are over 70 genera and over 1200 species of bamboo plants worldwide, mainly distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, with a few bamboo species found in temperate and cold regions. Bamboo is an evergreen (with a few bamboo species shedding leaves during the dry season) shallow rooted plant that requires high water and heat conditions and is very sensitive. The distribution of water and heat on the Earth's surface dominates the geographical distribution of bamboo. Southeast Asia is located in the tropical and subtropical regions of South Asia, and is also affected by the convergence of Pacific and Indian Ocean monsoons. It has abundant rainfall and stable heat, making it an ideal ecological environment for bamboo growth and the center of bamboo distribution in the world.
The former global bamboo forest area was approximately 22 million hectares ²。 The geographical distribution of bamboo in the world can be divided into three major bamboo regions, namely the Asia Pacific bamboo region, the Americas bamboo region, and the Africa bamboo region. Some scholars even list them separately, while Europe and North America are the introduction regions. Bamboo grows quickly after the rain.
Bamboo requires a deep and fertile soil, rich in organic matter and mineral elements, and a slightly acidic soil. Due to the shallow penetration of underground stems in the soil and the emergence period in summer and autumn, new bamboo cannot fully lignify and cannot withstand cold and drought in the same year. Therefore, growth in the north is generally limited, and their soil requirements are higher than those of scattered bamboo. Bamboo requires sufficient moisture and good drainage.
There are over 100 to 1000 types of bamboo in the world. Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have introduced over 100 types of bamboo from Asia, Africa, and Latin America, ranging from large bamboo to small bamboo. They are widely used in garden greening. Especially the cold resistant bamboo species of the genera Gangzhu, Kuzhu, and Chizhu introduced from China and Japan are the main ones.
Fibers have good breathability, water absorption, wear resistance and other characteristics, and can be made into various furniture or handicrafts; Bamboo shoots, bamboo rice, and bamboo whips can all be consumed or used as medicine, with high economic value. Bamboo has a short growth cycle and is evergreen all year round. It can also be used as a city greening plant. Bamboo branches are tall and slender, verdant all year round, proud of snow and frost. In ancient times, they were often used to describe upright and unyielding individuals. Bamboo, during its growth period, is not afraid of extreme cold and heat, nor is it afraid of wind, frost, and snow, and has been widely loved by people.
