The effect of silvicultural management on regeneration, growth and yield of Arundinaria alpina (Highland bamboo) at Choke Mountain, East Gojam, Northwest Ethiopia

Abstract

With the objective of determining the effects of silvicultural management on regeneration and growth of mismanaged Arundinaria alpina stands, an experiment was conducted in the Choke Mountain, northwest Ethiopia. Eight soil and plant management techniques that comprise soil loosening, selective thinning and removal of old stumps were splited on two levels of organic fertilizer and applied on one hectare communally owned bamboo stand. Effect of the treatments was observed from data collected in 2009 and 2010 rainy seasons. The number of recruited culms of previous years (2007 and 2008) which had intermittent protection from human and livestock interference was also quantified employing culm age determination techniques. Result of combined analysis of 2009 and 2010 indicated that soil loosening combined with selective thinning and removal of old stumps resulted in culm recruitment of 13,750 plants ha^-1, i.e. 37% higher than the control plot. This treatment combination decreased shoot mortality by 61% less than the control and increased culm recruitment by 40 % more than the control plot during the 2009 shooting season. Culm diameter and height of individual culms recruited in 2009 and 2010 showed increasing trend across the two years. Comparison of culm recruitment of previous years with recruitments after treatment application indicated that with improved management, including protection from interference, culm yield of communally owned bamboo stands can be maximized by 158-589%.

Keywords: soil loosening, selective thinning, highland bamboo, silviculture, Yushania alpina