Explore the vast range of titles available.

Bamboo is a perennial flowering plant with a distinctive life cycle: many bamboo species remain in the vegetative phase for decades, followed by mass synchronous flowering and subsequent death. The phenomenon of bamboo flowering is not fully understood, but its periodicity is a major research focus. Here, we collected information on bamboo flowering events by investigating historical documents and field studies at the Bamboo Research Institute of Nanjing Forestry University. We compiled information on more than 630 flowering events, 124 of which accurately recorded the flowering cycle time. We summarized the specific flowering cycles of 85 bamboo species, as well as four kinds of bamboo flowering habits in detail. We present a theory of the bamboo flowering cycle and discuss the reasons for the observed variations in bamboo flowering. This review also introduces two mechanisms by which bamboo forests are rejuvenated after flowering and explains the flowering phenomena of bamboo forests using the bamboo flowering cycle theory. Finally, we present suggestions for forest management strategies. Bamboo flowering is a normal physiological phenomenon, even though it has unique elements compared with flowering in other plants. The results presented here provide valuable reference material for understanding bamboo flowering and its periodicity.

We examine the Indigenous uses, oral histories, and knowledge of native Guadua bamboo species in southwestern Amazonia. Two Guadua species form dense stands in which individual plants die en masse at regular intervals of about 28 years. Scholars suggested that pre-colonial earth builders took advantage of these die-off events as a natural aid in removing the forest to construct geometric earthworks. Our results show that Guadua species have a significant position in Indigenous socio-cosmologies, land use, and as a protector of diverse resources. Indigenous ontological understandings cannot be separated from discussions of the abundance and geographical distribution of Guadua as a critical controlling factor in the vegetation structure and function of southwestern Amazonian rain forests. Furthermore, oral histories point to the connection between land management and bamboo, as well as bamboo and the use of fire, conforming to the suggestion of opening ceremonial spaces in bamboo patches in pre-colonial earthwork societies.

Herein, we report the mitochondrial genomic characteristics of three insect pests, Notobitus meleagris, Macropes harringtonae, and Homoeocerus bipunctatus, collected from bamboo plants in Guizhou Province, China. For the first time, the damaged conditions and life histories of M. harringtonae and H. bipunctatus are described in detail and digital photographs of all their life stages are provided. Simultaneously, the mitochondrial genome sequences of three bamboo pests were sequenced and analyzed. Idiocerus laurifoliae and Nilaparvata lugens were used as outgroups, and the phylogenetic trees were constructed. The mitochondrial genomes of the three bamboo pests contained 37 classical genes, including 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), two ribosomal RNA genes (rRNAs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), and a control region, with a total length of 16,199 bp, 15,314 bp, and 16,706 bp, respectively. The A+T values of the three bamboo pests were similar, and trnS1 was a cloverleaf structure with missing arms. The phylogenetic analyses, using the Bayesian inference (BI) and Maximum likelihood (ML), supported that N. meleagris and H. bipunctatus belonged to the Coreoidea family, whereas M. harringtonae belonged to the Lygaeoidea family with high support values. This study involves the first complete sequencing of the mitochondrial genomes of two bamboo pests. By adding these newly sequenced mitochondrial genome data and detailed descriptions of life histories, the database of bamboo pests is improved. These data also provide information for the development of bamboo pest control methods by quick identification techniques and the use of detailed photographs.

Background Talaromycosis is an aggressive and life-threatening disease, caused by the pathogen Talaromyces marneffei ( T. marneffei ) which was first isolated from the bamboo rats ( Rhizomys sinensis ). T. marneffei was traditionally known for its high incidence and mortality rates in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) patients. Epidemiological data reveal a concerning upward trend of infections among HIV-negative individuals, including immunocompetent hosts. At the meantime, although the bamboo rats have been reported to be associated with T. marneffei infection, there is a noticeable rising trend of the bamboo rats hunting and farming industry. Public awareness regarding the zoonotic transmission risks associated with these rodents remains limited. Case presentation We report five cases of T. marneffei infection occurring within a single year, all involving individuals with a history of hunting wild bamboo rats ( Rhizomys spp., likely Rhizomys sinensis ). All five patients underwent HIV testing upon admission, with uniformly negative results. Notably, other immunodeficiency diseases, chronic comorbidities or prior immunosuppressive therapy were not found in these patients. The clustered emergence of these cases—affecting immunocompetent individuals within neighboring geographic areas over a brief timeframe, all sharing exposure through bamboo rat hunting—warrants detailed characterization. We herein present clinical profiles of these five cases. Conclusions These cases demonstrate epidemiological associations between contact with wild bamboo rats and T. marneffei infections in immunocompetent individuals. The atypical clinical symptoms and variable imaging manifestations of T. marneffei infection may lead to increased underdiagnosis and misdiagnosis. Systematic implementation of exposure history, particularly documenting contact with wild animals for patients with pulmonary infection to make a timely diagnosis. This study also underscores the urgent need for public awareness regarding the potential risks of T. marneffei infections associated with hunting wild bamboo rats and the bamboo rat farming industry.

ContextsThe expansion of fast-growing Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) into forests is likely further favored by climate change, creating more transitional regions within forests. Such forest-bamboo transitional zones provide windows to look at ecological processes driving bamboo’s interaction with competing species across space.ObjectivesWe tested the hypothesis that spatial patterns at different scales of the ecotone can inform bamboo’s invasive spread and its competitive engulfing strategy, with the allocation of biomass and resources within a bamboo colony being a key life-history strategy to facilitate its spatial spread.MethodsWe used remote sensing imagery and field survey data to analyze the dynamics of bamboo-tree transitional boundaries in Tianmu Mountain Nature Reserve (TMNR) in southeastern China. We evaluated bamboo’s spatial spread and its allocation of resources along the transitional gradient.ResultsBoth remote sensing and field data showed bamboo recovery and advancement into tree territories after the extensive logging of bamboo but with a slower spread compared to historical records. The spatial distributions of bamboo and tree stems were not random at their transitional interfaces and were affected by competition. Successful bamboo expansion into trees required close coordination between stems and rhizomes within a colony, as they served different functions in clonal integration.ConclusionsOur study initiates a scale-dependent analysis of shifts in bamboo-tree boundaries, which provides insights on how to accurately predict future bamboo distributions under climate change accounting for interspecific competition and bamboo’s clonal integration of resources.

The ramet system is a typical structural type in the life history of clonal plants. This massive structure is formed by many similar ramets connected by underground rhizomes, which are independent and mutually influential. Therefore, the ramet system is unique to bamboo forests, and its role in the construction, maintenance, and productivity of bamboo populations is irreplaceable. Mulch management is a high-level cultivation model for bamboo forests that is used to cultivate bamboo shoots. However, the basic conditions of bamboo ramet systems in this managed model are poorly understood. This study analyzed the underground rhizome morphology, bud bank, and branching of bamboo ramets in a Phyllostachys praecox C.D. Chu et C.S. Chao ‘Prevernalis’ forest to explore the growth patterns of bamboo ramets in high-level management fields. In mulched bamboo forests, the bamboo rhizomes, distributed in intermediate positions of the bamboo ramet system, were long with many lateral buds and branches, and those at the initial and distal ends were short with few lateral buds and branches. The initial end of the ramet system reduced the ramet system, the intermediate part expanded the ramet system, and the distal end promoted ramet system regeneration. Owing to the continuous reduction, expansion, and renewal of ramet systems, the bamboo rhizome system demonstrates mobility and adaptability. This study found that a higher level of bamboo forest management increased the possibility of artificial fragmentation of the ramet system and that improving the efficiency of the ramet system was beneficial for maintaining its high vitality. Thus, this study provides a crucial reference for guiding the precise regulation of bamboo ramet systems in artificial bamboo forests.

Dendrocalamus farinosus is one of the essential bamboo species mainly used for food and timber in the southwestern region of China. In this study, the complete chloroplast (cp) genome of D. farinosus is sequenced, assembled, and the phylogenetic relationship analyzed. The cp genome has a circular and quadripartite structure, has a total length of 139,499 bp and contains 132 genes: 89 protein-coding genes, eight rRNAs and 35 tRNAs. The repeat analyses showed that three types of repeats (palindromic, forward and reverse) are present in the genome. A total of 51 simple sequence repeats are identified in the cp genome. The comparative analysis between different species belonging to Dendrocalamus revealed that although the cp genomes are conserved, many differences exist between the genomes. The analysis shows that the non-coding regions were more divergent than the coding regions, and the inverted repeat regions are more conserved than the single-copy regions. Moreover, these results also indicate that rpoC2 may be used to distinguish between different bamboo species. Phylogenetic analysis results supported that D. farinosus was closely related to D. latiflorus. Furthermore, these bamboo species’ geographical distribution and rhizome types indicate two evolutionary pathways: one is from the tropics to the alpine zone, and the other is from the tropics to the warm temperate zone. Our study will be helpful in the determination of the cp genome sequences of D. farinosus, and provides new molecular data to understand the Bambusoideae evolution.

Bambusoideae is the only subfamily that contains woody members in the grass family, Poaceae. In phylogenetic analyses, Bambusoideae, Pooideae and Ehrhartoideae formed the BEP clade, yet the internal relationships of this clade are controversial. The distinctive life history (infrequent flowering and predominance of asexual reproduction) of woody bamboos makes them an interesting but taxonomically difficult group. Phylogenetic analyses based on large DNA fragments could only provide a moderate resolution of woody bamboo relationships, although a robust phylogenetic tree is needed to elucidate their evolutionary history. Phylogenomics is an alternative choice for resolving difficult phylogenies. Here we present the complete nucleotide sequences of six woody bamboo chloroplast (cp) genomes using Illumina sequencing. These genomes are similar to those of other grasses and rather conservative in evolution. We constructed a phylogeny of Poaceae from 24 complete cp genomes including 21 grass species. Within the BEP clade, we found strong support for a sister relationship between Bambusoideae and Pooideae. In a substantial improvement over prior studies, all six nodes within Bambusoideae were supported with ≥0.95 posterior probability from Bayesian inference and 5/6 nodes resolved with 100% bootstrap support in maximum parsimony and maximum likelihood analyses. We found that repeats in the cp genome could provide phylogenetic information, while caution is needed when using indels in phylogenetic analyses based on few selected genes. We also identified relatively rapidly evolving cp genome regions that have the potential to be used for further phylogenetic study in Bambusoideae. The cp genome of Bambusoideae evolved slowly, and phylogenomics based on whole cp genome could be used to resolve major relationships within the subfamily. The difficulty in resolving the diversification among three clades of temperate woody bamboos, even with complete cp genome sequences, suggests that these lineages may have diverged very rapidly.