Hi there you guys!
Here is a Reading activity about the topic we're seeing in class. You can either write your questions in the notebook or print the sheet with the answers.
;)
The Environmental
Impact of Guadua Bamboo
Bamboo
forests have many environmental benefits because they function as carbon sinks,
produce oxygen, control soil erosion, provide organic matter, regulate water
levels in watersheds, conserve biodiversity, beautify the landscape, and
essentially contribute to the purification and regulation of the environment.
All woody
bamboos have their environmental importance, however giant timber bamboo
species such as Guadua angustifolia are particularly
astounding...
Bamboo
absorbs huge amounts of CO2
The Carbon Cycle
Diagram
Bamboo captures huge amounts
of carbon dioxide which they generate and convert into oxygen. Scientific
studies in commercial bamboo plantations in Mexico show that Guadua
angustifolia has the capacity to capture 149.9 tons of CO2 per
hectare in the first 7 years after planting (average of 21.41 tons / ha /
year). Information which is fundamental and necessary to enter the
international system of carbon trading, and which can bring additional benefit
for investors and farmers who grow and cultivate Guadua bamboo.
Bamboo does
not release the trapped CO2 as it stays captures inside the plant, even after
the harvested timber is used in value added products for construction,
flooring, panels, etc. it still functions as a carbon sink. One hectare of
adult Guadua bamboo can also produce 5.8 times more biomass compared
to most other forest species.
Furthermore,
bamboo is a sustainable and renewable resource because it
continuously spreads vegetatively. This allows the formation of forests much
faster compared to most other tree species.
Unlike other types of commercial forestry
crops where trees must be clear-cut and replanted, in bamboo plantations only
mature stems are harvested while younger stems are left untouched to mature and
develop.
All these
characteristics have called the attention of industrialized countries, and
reveals the environmental impact and potential of Guadua Bamboo as a high
yielding forestry crop. These countries who according to the Kyoto Protocol
must reduce the effects of greenhouse gas emissions, see Guadua bamboo as an
alternative that could help solve a global problem, perhaps, even at less costs
compared to other expensive technological processes, which are much more
complicated as well.
Regulating
Water and Soil Erosion Control
Bamboo regulates the quantity
and quality of water, which are essential
characteristics when managing watersheds. Bamboo forests also serve for sediment
control. They form a sort of wall that prevent the loss of flow in rivers.
In addition,
the forest cover of their canopy prevents the evaporation of streams.
Therefore the environmental impact of Guadua bamboo is indisputable if it comes
to effective watershed protection.
Guadua
bamboo plants with their interwoven system of roots and rhizomes contribute to
the recovery and conservation of soils present on riverbanks. Beneath the
ground lays an extensive network of rhizomes that ties together and prevents
soil erosion on hillsides or river banks. Planting bamboo to control
soil erosion is recommended in areas susceptible to landslides or slopes in the
process of slowly losing its soil.
“One hectare of Guadua Bamboo
Forest can store over 30,000 liters of water in its culms during rainy season which
it gradually deposits back in the
soil during dry season”
This woven root system acts as
a cohesive for colloidal particles, making the plant a very important species
as a soil protector near rivers. In the rainy season bamboo absorbs large
amounts of water, it stores the water both in its rhizomes as in the stems and
soil. This means that bamboo has a high water storage capacity.
Later on, due to the effects of concentration, the water is returned to the
soil, rivers and streams during the dry season.
The leaves
of the bamboo plants prevent the impact of raindrops, favoring the dispersion
of the raindrops into smaller particles. This contributes that ground
water is distributed smoothly throughout the forested area. If bamboo does not
exist on hillsides or slopes, heavy rains will probably cause erosion
problems sooner or later.
Guadua
bamboo also adds a great amount of organic matter to the soil.
Its large mass of leaves, twigs and dry stalks contribute to nutrient cycling,
thus conserving soil fertility in both its physical and chemical aspects.
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS
1. What do you suggest as a method to purify the
environment?
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2. What is the big difference between bamboo plantations
and commercial ones?
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3. Why do you think Bamboo is such a successful plant?
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4. Does the Bamboo forest helps the fauna, the flora and
beautifies the landscape? Why?
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