Deforestation, forest degradation and climate change are threatening the incredible diversity of life in forests. Bamboo and rattan can provide a solution.
21 March 2020 – Bamboo and rattan are common to tropical and subtropical forests around the world. Although they are not trees—bamboo is a grass, and rattan a climbing palm—these plants play a critical role in conserving biodiversity in forests. They are also widespread: recent research conducted by INBAR and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, categorised over 1600 identified species of bamboo and 600 species of rattan, covering Africa, Asia and the Americas, as part of a World Checklist.
For International Day of Forests 2020, themed ‘Forests and Biodiversity’, INBAR published an article on Landscape News, the online news journal of Global Landscapes Forum (GLF). GLF is the world’s largest knowledge-led platform on sustainable land use; INBAR is a GLF partner, and has worked closely with GLF for several years.
The article explains bamboo and rattan’s many contributions to forest protection and biodiversity:
- As a source of food and shelter for a large number of species, including some of the most endangered animals on the planet;
- As providers of key ecosystem services, such as landscape restoration, landslide control, groundwater recharge and water purification;
- As a fast-growing, self-regenerating alternative to timber, which can prevent deforestation;
- As a sustainable means of livelihood for millions of rural poor.
The full article can be read on Landscape News. You can download and share the below graphics about bamboo and rattan on social media. Feel free to follow and tag INBAR at @INBAROfficial on Twitter or Facebook, or @International Bamboo and Rattan Organisation on LinkedIn.
