Bamboos: Suitable for Rehabilitating Mined-Out Areas

Cooperating agency for this topic:
Philippine Council for Agriculture,
Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development
Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines 4030
Fax: (63 49) 536-0016
E-mail: pcarrd@pcarrd.dost.gov.ph, 2005-12-01

Mining activities in the Philippines date back to the 16th and 17th centuries. However, while it has contributed to the country's economic development, mining, particularly the open pit method, is a destructive activity. Its disposal of toxic wastes in reservoirs, irrigation systems, and agricultural lands has been detrimental to the environment.

Thus, efforts have been done to rehabilitate, regenerate, revegetate, and reforest mined-out and mine tailings-covered areas to bring back their productivity. Planting fast-growing, drought- and fire-resistant species with multiple uses, and species that can adapt to harsh conditions has been one of the remedial measures developed.

One of these rehabilitation plants is the versatile bamboo, which can grow almost anywhere, be it upland or lowland, provided proper establishment and management techniques are observed.

Suitable Species and Their Performance

A study by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and a mining company in Benguet Province identified the following bamboo species as suitable for mine tailings-covered areas: giant bamboo (Dendrocalamus asper) (Fig. 1), "kauyan tinik" (Bambusa blumeana) (Fig. 2), and "bayog" (Bambusa blumeana var. luzoniensis).

The species were planted at a spacing of 7 m x 7 m. B. blumeana and B. blumeana var. luzoniensis, were raised from two-node cuttings while D. asper was propagated from branch cuttings with two to three nodes.

The drought-resistant species B. blumeana and B. blumeana var. luzoniensis had survival rates of 99% and 97% survival rates, respectively, and they could tolerate water logging up to 63 days. Meanwhile, D. asper or giant bamboo registered only a 72% survival rate, which could be attributed to waterlogging during the rainy season.

Over three years, the mean height and diameter growth of B. blumeana was 4.57 m and 4.86 cm, respectively, while those of B. blumeana var. luzoniensis were 4.3 m and 4.41 cm, respectively. The giant bamboo had a slower growth than the other two species, attaining only an average height and diameter of 2.08 m and 2.88 cm, respectively.

On average, culms produced by B. blumeana, B. blumeana var. luzoniensis, and D. asper were 52, 51, and 26.

Benefits

Rehabilitating mined-out areas using bamboo does not only improve the environment but also provides additional income. However, the bamboo shoots emerging from bamboos planted in the mined-out areas are not yet recommended for consumption. Further studies have to be done on their heavy metal content.

Index of Images

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  Figure 1 Dendrocalamus Asper

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  Figure 2 Bambusa Blumeana

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