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Tropentag, October 5 - 7, 2004 in Berlin

"Rural Poverty Reduction
through Research for Development and Transformation"


Guadua Bamboo (Guadua angustifolia) Inventory in the Coffee Region of Colombia

David Morales-Hidalgo, Christoph Kleinn

Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Institute of Forest Management, Germany


Abstract


Guadua angustifolia, a bamboo species with a high economic and conservation potential, has been studied intensively over the past years in Colombia. It is considered an alternative product for the farmers in the central region of Colombia, dominated traditionally by coffee-production.

Guadua "forests" are found along rivers and creeks and also in patches away from waters. Most of the Guadua stands in Colombia grow naturally. However, commercial cultivation has been increasing over the past years. Many questions arise about stand establishment, favourable site conditions, silvicultural treatment, technological properties of the culm etc. – and a basic information required for all resources planning and research is the estimation of the existing Guadua stands in terms of area and stand characteristics (like culm density).

In this paper, the results of an inventory of Guadua angustifolia in the Colombian Coffee Region are presented and discussed. This study had been implemented in 2002.

The area of Guadua stands (minimum area 0.3ha) was estimated from (available) aerial photographs. Systematic sampling was employed to collect field data, with a sample size of n=90 on a 10km × 10 km grid. Decision for the relatively low sample size was governed by restrictions of resources. The aerial photographs closest to the sample point were taken to center an aerial photo plot of approximately 3km × 3 km on it. In these plots pure Guadua stands and mixed Guadua stands were delineated for area estimation.

For the field survey, 13 plots were randomly selected of the 90 interpreted aerial photos, excluding those without Guadua patches. In each field plot, 10 sub-plots of 10m × 10m each were randomly selected. There, number of stems, diameter d and other attributes were measured.

The results of the inventory are presented in this study.


Keywords: Bamboo, Coffee region, Colombia, forest inventory, Guadua angustifolia


Contact Address: David Morales-Hidalgo, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Forest Department, Büsgenweg 5, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany, e-mail: dmorale@gwdg.de


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