Studies on biomass production, partitioning and allometry of different bamboo (Bamboo spp.) plant species grown in bamboosetum in Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

The biomass production and partitioning of 30 bamboo species were evaluated at ICAR Research Complex for NEH Region, Arunachal Pradesh Center, Basar located in the humid sub-tropic. Bamboo species were planted in a bamboosetum on the hill with 25% slope at planting density of 2l8 clumps/ha. On the basis of mean annual aboveground biomass production and annual culms production, all the species were grouped into five distinct clusters at average linkage distance of 0.6. Bamboo species grouped in cluster III viz. B. bambos, B. balcooa, D. giganteus, B. cacharensis, B. pallida type I, B. nutans, B. tulda, D. sikkimensis, D. hookeri were the highest annual biomass producer (494.67 260.36 t/ha). Culms constituted more than 90% of total biomass in Arundinaria hirsuta, A. mannii, B. bambos and B. balcooa. Leaves and branches constitute 45% of the total biomass in Schizostachyum polymorphum. Biomass production in bamboo had significant (p < 0.01) positive correlation with culms height (0.835), rind thickness (0.654), leaf length (0.0.659) and number of internodes/culms (0.716). Culms height, rind thickness and leaf length fitted into multiple linear regression models predicted 79% variability in the annual total biomass. Culms height, rind thickness and leaf length culms spacing explained about 90% variability in single culms weight of different species.