Bengal Bamboo The Bambusa
tulda can be found in the biome of the Southeast
Asian rainforest. It often grows as an undergrowth
scattered or in patches in the forest. It does very
well in a moist environment with a lot of rainfall.
It likes temperatures between 40 degrees Fahrenheit
and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Rainforests get around
100 inches of rain per year. Rainforests are found
mainly around the equator. They hold many varieties
of plants and animals. The vegetation in
rainforests grows in layers. Some of the layers get
sunlight, but the bottom layers get little or no
sunlight. This
particular bamboo can grow anywhere between 40 feet
and 80 feet in height. It is approximately 3 inches
in diameter at maturity. This bamboo has dark green
straight stalky culms, Bambusa tulda is important to its environment. It can reduce soil erosion. It sucks up water from heavy rains that might cause flooding. It also provides shelter for many animals. A rainforest has plenty of water for this plant to grow. It physically adapts to its environment by growing tall fast so it gets a lot of rain and sunlight. Bambusa tulda is mainly used by the Indian paper pulping industry. It is also used for furniture, making baskets and reinforcing concrete. This type of bamboo is used to make a sacred flute called the "Eloo". It is also used for fishing rods. It is one of the most useful species of bambusa.
Rainforests are disappearing at the rate of 80 acres per minute, which is a little over 1 acre per second. Bambusa tulda is not on the endangered species list. It is native to India, Burma, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand. Although there is no formal conservation plan, some of the local people are trying to conserve it in their area. They do this in their homestead and settled forest areas by planting it and being cautious about how much they harvest. By Zachary C. 2002
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