ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to determine whether or not growth and biomass accumulation in thin-walled bamboos follow simple H-D relationships and allometric scaling rules, and develops models for estimation of biomass stocks in thin-walled bamboo stands. A global analysis of bamboo biomass models was carried out that depicts lack of allometric scaling for the different species studied. The growth patterns of bamboos differ from those of timber species, and their unique characteristics include fast growth, high biomass productivity, and rapid maturation from shoot to culm. In the forestry literature, allometric models based on diameter at breast height and total height is widely used to predict tree biomass and carbon stocks. However, allometric scaling rules have not been widely tested for biomass estimation of thin-walled bamboos. The models can significantly improve capacity to accurately estimate biomass and carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems subcontinent where some species of bamboos are common.
