General Studies- III (Conservation)

Gist Of Editorials

13 May 2021

Considering the urgent need of greening, certain state forest departments and corporations are taking earnest measures for tree cultivation on private lands and establishing tree parks and oxygen parks.

One such measure is being taken by Tamil Nadu.

Beema Bamboo:

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU) has designed an ‘oxygen park’ within its premises at Coimbatore with Beema Bamboo.

• Beema or Bheema Bamboo, also known as wonder bamboo, is a superior clone, selected from Bambusa balcooa, a higher biomass yielding bamboo species.
• This bamboo clone has been developed by the conventional breeding method.
• This clone is thorn-less and sterile.

Key features:

• This species is considered to be one of the fastest-growing plants. It grows one-and-a-half feet per day under tropical conditions.
• It is said to be the best ‘carbon sink’ to mitigate carbon dioxide emissions.
• A fully-grown bamboo tree may generate over 300 kilograms of oxygen annually and it may be sufficient for one person for one year.
• A four-year-old bamboo may absorb over 400 kg of carbon dioxide per annum from the surrounding areas.
• Bamboo raised on one acre can sequester 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually.

Environmental Significane:

• Beema Bamboo is not a product of genetically modified organisms.
• In this case, new culms only grow around the mother shoot and hence it is non-invasive.
• A culm is the hollow stem of a grass or cereal plant, especially that bearing the flower.
• The culms grow almost solid and adapt to different soil and climatic conditions. After every harvest cycle, it re-grows and does not require replanting for decades.
• As it is sterile, this bamboo does not produce any seed and does not die also for several hundred years and keeps growing without death.
• As a result, this particular bamboo species can be able to establish permanent green cover.

Economic significance:

• The bamboo’s calorific value is equal to that of coal.
• Cement industries are buying this bamboo species for their boilers.
• Bamboo fibre is used by the textile industry for making fabric and garments.

The Beema Bamboo can be an excellent choice for making the earth greener and mitigating climate change.

Source: Down to Earth