Flowering and Regeneration of Bamboo (Dendrocalamus longispathus Kurz.) in Natural Forests of Mizoram

Abstract

Bamboo distributes throughout the sub-tropical forest of Mizoram. Out of about 25 indigenous bamboo species growing under natural forests in Mizoram 5 species have flowered during the past 10 years, these are Melocanna baccifera (Mautak), Dendrocalamus hamiltonii (Phulrua), Schizostachyum dulloa (Rawthla), Dendrocalamus longispathus Kurz. (Rawnal) and Bambusa mizorameana (Talan). A study was carried out on the important ecological parameters such as seeds production, soil seed bank, seed viability, seed germination and seedling establishment of Dendrocalamus longispathus Kurz. The study can be used for theoretical modeling of bamboo regeneration after gregarious flowering which occurs after long intervals, as well as for resource management of Dendrocalamus longispathus Kurz. which is one of the most common and widely used bamboos in northeast India and Mizoram in particular.