Is bamboo invasive and can it destroy biodiversity?

Tucked in the lush greenery of Antipolo City, Carolina Bamboo Garden has once again welcomed visitors for its 26th bamboo training and seminar.

Upon entering the place, rustling leaves and towering stalks, as well as the woody aroma of bamboo greet attendees and visitors. The serene and relaxing atmosphere is clearly more than just a learning space about the humble bamboo's great potential.

One of the attendees who traveled all the way to the hidden garden was 62-year-old engineer Mamerto Medrano from Bolinao, Pangasinan.

“Ang bamboo sa akin is sustainability kasi pwede siyang food, pwede siyang shelter, pwede siyang sa construction. Madami siyang pwedeng maitutulong sa atin sa kabuhayan natin. At tsaka sa climate change mitigation,” he said.

[Bamboo for me is sustainability — It can provide food, it can provide shelter, it can be used in construction. It has a lot of uses for livelihood, as well as for climate change mitigation.] 

Climate change mitigation refers to actions that help stop the warming of the planet. 

According to Mrs. Carolina G. Jimenez, founder of Carolina Bamboo Garden, it is a must that people learn about the basics of bamboo before diving further into its application.

“Talagang dapat mag-aral muna ‘yung basic. Ano ba ‘yung papaano ka ba magna-nursery? Papaano mo ba ‘yun itatanim nang hindi naman masisira at tsaka tutubo siya ng up to maturity? ‘Yun muna una. Kaya tinatahak namin dito sa aming seminar yon,” she said.

[It's important to learn the basics. How do you put up a nursery? How do you plant bamboo in such a way it will thrive to maturity? That's the first step, and what's what our seminar is all about.]

Bamboo is found all over the Philippines, she added, making it a good source of income, too, aside from the environmental benefits it brings.

Among those who graced the event were bamboo experts and enthusiasts, including Gregorio E. Santos Jr., center head of DENR-ERDB’s Urban and Biodiversity Research Development and Extension Center, who tackled the false idea of bamboo being invasive.

“Sinasabi nila [na ang] bamboo daw ay invasive,” he said. “The bamboo na sinasabi na invasive is the running bamboo because it spreads very fast.”

[They say bamboo is invasive but the bamboo they think as invasive is the running bamboo that spreads very fast.]

“The bamboo that we have are not invasive because the bamboo that we have are the sympodial type. Ito ‘yung mga clustering or clumping bamboo. So hindi siya invasive, ‘no? And ‘yung invasiveness naman depende kung saan mo siya—especially sa mga barren areas na gusto mare-rehabilitate, ma-revegetate ka, maganda ‘yung invasive.”

[The bamboo that we have are not invasive because it's the sympodial type, the clustering or. clumping bamboo. Besides, invasiveness depends where you will plant it — invasive is good in barren areas that you want rehabilitated or revegetated.] 

Santos also addressed the common question about bamboo destroying biodiversity.

“Sinasabi nila [na] it destroys the biodiversity kasi hindi siya namumulaklak, hindi namumunga na pwedeng magprovide ng pagkain sa mga hayop,” he said, which he also denied.

[They say bamboo destroys biodiversity because it doesn't flower, it doesn't bear fruit that can provide food for animals.]

“Hindi niya sinisira yung biodiversity. May daga that feeds on the bamboo shoots, the young bamboo, and then here comes the snake that feeds on the rats to maintain the balance,” he said.

[It doesn't destroy biodiversity. There is a type of rat that feeds on the bamboo shoots, and then heres come the snake that feeds on the rats to maintain the balance.]

Besides bamboo plantations can also serve as habitat or resting place for birds and other animals.

“So mali naman yung kaisipan na sinasabi na it will destroy the ecosystem. Hindi naman totoo ‘yon,” he said.

[So it's wrong to think bamboo destroys the ecosystem. That's not true.]

Carolina Bamboo Garden is located in Sitio Tanza II, Barangay San Jose, Antipolo City.

— LA, GMA Integrated News