12 - Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis (Carrière) J.Houz.)–one of the most valuable bamboo species for phytoremediation

Abstract

Phyllostachys edulis (Carrière) J.Houz. (Moso bamboo) is a monopodial, indigenous, widely distributed, highly productive, and economically important bamboo of China. Its growth rate is markedly higher than any other tree species and known as the fastest growing plant in the world. It is a monopodial bamboo develops from long, slender, leptomorph rhizomes that grow horizontally under the soil. It has some superior attributes in terms of adaptation to environmental stress, extensive competitive ability, fast growth rate, high biomass productivity, multi-purpose applications, such as for furniture, building materials, and decoration, ease in cultivation, short cutting time (4–5 years), and high ecological values as compared to other bamboo species. P. edulis in China has threatened the associated rare/endangered species as it expands quickly. It has well-developed, massive, and complex root pattern and have effectively accumulated bio available metals and rapidly transported them to rhizomes, stems, branches, and leaves, making it as a potential phytoremediation plant. It is also known as the most promising species for carbon sequestration with high biomass production and biomass accumulation and carbon storage mainly occurs in the initial growth stage. In this chapter, effort has been made to provide critical information on the role of P. edulistoward provisioning ecosystem services, and nature sustainability to enable planning for sustainable utilization and conservation of bamboo.