Research directed by C. Daehler (UH Botany) with funding from the Kaulunani Urban Forestry Program and US Forest Service

Information on Risk Assessments
Original risk assessment

Bambusa vulgaris (common bamboo)

Answer

1.01

Is the species highly domesticated?

y=-3, n=0

n

1.02

Has the species become naturalized where grown?

y=-1, n=-1

y

1.03

Does the species have weedy races?

y=-1, n=-1

n

2.01

Species suited to tropical or subtropical climate(s) (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) – If island is primarily wet habitat, then substitute “wet tropical” for “tropical or subtropical”

See Append 2

2

2.02

Quality of climate match data (0-low; 1-intermediate; 2-high) see appendix 2

2

2.03

Broad climate suitability (environmental versatility)

y=1, n=0

y

2.04

Native or naturalized in regions with tropical or subtropical climates

y=1, n=0

y

2.05

Does the species have a history of repeated introductions outside its natural range? y=-2

?=-1, n=0

y

3.01

Naturalized beyond native range y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2), n= question 2.05

y

3.02

Garden/amenity/disturbance weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

3.03

Agricultural/forestry/horticultural weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

3.04

Environmental weed y = 2*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

y

3.05

Congeneric weed y = 1*multiplier (see Append 2)

n=0

n

4.01

Produces spines, thorns or burrs

y=1, n=0

n

4.02

Allelopathic

y=1, n=0

n

4.03

Parasitic

y=1, n=0

n

4.04

Unpalatable to grazing animals

y=1, n=-1

n

4.05

Toxic to animals

y=1, n=0

n

4.06

Host for recognized pests and pathogens

y=1, n=0

n

4.07

Causes allergies or is otherwise toxic to humans

y=1, n=0

n

4.08

Creates a fire hazard in natural ecosystems

y=1, n=0

4.09

Is a shade tolerant plant at some stage of its life cycle

y=1, n=0

n

4.1

Tolerates a wide range of soil conditions (or limestone conditions if not a volcanic island)

y=1, n=0

y

4.11

Climbing or smothering growth habit

y=1, n=0

n

4.12

Forms dense thickets

y=1, n=0

y

5.01

Aquatic

y=5, n=0

n

5.02

Grass

y=1, n=0

n

5.03

Nitrogen fixing woody plant

y=1, n=0

n

5.04

Geophyte (herbaceous with underground storage organs -- bulbs, corms, or tubers)

y=1, n=0

n

6.01

Evidence of substantial reproductive failure in native habitat

y=1, n=0

6.02

Produces viable seed.

y=1, n=-1

6.03

Hybridizes naturally

y=1, n=-1

6.04

Self-compatible or apomictic

y=1, n=-1

6.05

Requires specialist pollinators

y=-1, n=0

n

6.06

Reproduction by vegetative fragmentation

y=1, n=-1

y

6.07

Minimum generative time (years) 1 year = 1, 2 or 3 years = 0, 4+ years = -1

See left

80

7.01

Propagules likely to be dispersed unintentionally (plants growing in heavily trafficked areas)

y=1, n=-1

n

7.02

Propagules dispersed intentionally by people

y=1, n=-1

y

7.03

Propagules likely to disperse as a produce contaminant

y=1, n=-1

n

7.04

Propagules adapted to wind dispersal

y=1, n=-1

y

7.05

Propagules water dispersed

y=1, n=-1

7.06

Propagules bird dispersed

y=1, n=-1

n

7.07

Propagules dispersed by other animals (externally)

y=1, n=-1

n

7.08

Propagules survive passage through the gut

y=1, n=-1

n

8.01

Prolific seed production (>1000/m2)

y=1, n=-1

n

8.02

Evidence that a persistent propagule bank is formed (>1 yr)

y=1, n=-1

n

8.03

Well controlled by herbicides

y=-1, n=1

8.04

Tolerates, or benefits from, mutilation, cultivation, or fire

y=1, n=-1

y

8.05

Effective natural enemies present locally (e.g. introduced biocontrol agents)

y=-1, n=1

Total score:

5

Source

Notes

1.01

No evidence.

1.02

'…a giant naturalized weed restricted primarily to river courses, ponds, water holes, roadways, inaccessible hillsides, pastures…'

Rashford, J. H. 1995. The Past and present uses of Bamboo in Jamaica. Economic Botany. 49(4): 395

1.03

No evidence.

2.01

Native to tropical Asia and cultivated throughout the tropics and subtropics.

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

2.02

2.03

Approximate limits north to south: 20°N to 19°S. B. vulgaris can be found growing pantropically from low elevations up to 1200 m altitude.

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

2.04

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

2.05

The species is widely distributed among the Pacific Islands and (2) in Europe and Peurto Rico and Honduras.

http://www.hear.org/pier3/bamsp.htm (2)Farrelly, D. 1984. The Book of Bamboo. Sierrra club bookds. San Francisco.

3.01

'…a giant naturalized weed restricted primarily to river courses, ponds, water holes, roadways, inaccessible hillsides, pastures…'

Rashford, J. H. 1995. The Past and present uses of Bamboo in Jamaica. Economic Botany. 49(4): 395

3.02

No evidence.

3.03

No evidence.

3.04

1) Listed as an "alien invasive species" in Jamaica but no impacts/further comments are given 2)Forming extensive groves

1)http://www.jamaicachm.org.jm/aliens_i_pl.htm 2)Adams, C.D. 1972. Flowering plants of Jamaica. University of the West Indies, Mona.

3.05

None listed in Holme et al. Geographic atlas of world weeds. All other references as weeds in this genus were vague with no evidence of control measures being enacted.

4.01

No evidence.

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

4.02

Not allelopathic

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi

4.03

No evidence.

4.04

Low palatability to browsing and grazing animals.

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi

4.05

Not toxic

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi

4.06

This site lists 67 species of fungi to be associated with B. vulgaris.

http://nt.ars-grin.gov/fungaldatabases/all/FindRecOneFungusFrame.cfm

4.07

No evidence.

4.08

Not fire resistant. Low fire tolerance. (could be a hazard after a large clump dies, but no reports on this)

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi

4.09

Shade intolerant.

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi

4.1

1)pH range from 4 to 7. 2) soil texture,heavy, medium,light

1) http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi 2)http://pppis.fao.org/

4.11

No evidence. It is not a vine.

4.12

'…grows in … many clumps in dense stands that in Jamaica are called Bamboo walks.'

Rashford, J. H. 1995. The Past and present uses of Bamboo in Jamaica. Economic Botany. 49(4): 395

5.01

5.02

Not techincally a grass. Distinct from grasses due to woodiness and other traits. 10-20 m, tall perennial grass - growth habit is like a tree.

CAB International, 2000. Forestry Compendium Global Module. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.

5.03

5.04

6.01

This information comes from India (not native range): 'The incidence of flowering in this species is very rarely reported. … During each occurrence of flowering only few clumps are involved and no report of gregarious flowering exisits. Unusually flowering was not followed by fruit setting in any recorded history and eventually clumps involved perished.

Koshy, K.C. and Pushpangadan, P. 1997. Bambusa vulgaris blooms, a leap towards extinction. Current Science. Vol 72(9): 622

6.02

1) 'Except a doubtful report by Lantican et al seeds of B. vulgaris remain to be botanically known.' 2) No seed set is reported in the common bamboo, Bambusa vulgaris , (Bambusoideae: Poaceae) so far.
The causes for its sterility were studied through investigations on pollen fertility, viability, in vitro and in vivo germination and cytology. Very low pollen viability and high pollen sterility are due to meiotic irregularities. Although a small proportion of pollen grains germinated following manual pollination, pollen tubes were inhibited in the stigmatic papillae. Lack of seed set in this species seems to be the result of cumulative effect of a number of physical and physiological factors.

1) Koshy, K.C. and Pushpangadan, P. 1997. Bambusa vulgaris blooms, a leap towards extinction. Current Science. Vol 72(9): 622 2)Koshy, K. C.; Jee, G. 2001. Studies on the absence of seed set in Bambusa vulgaris. Current Science, , Vol.81, No.4, pp.375-378

6.03

No information.

6.04

No information.

6.05

1) Probably not - it is a grass. 2) Bee visits in six tropical woody bamboos (Bambusoideae: Poaceae) - Bambusa bambos (native), in B. vulgaris , the bees visited the florets only at the male stage

2) Koshy, K. C.; Harikumar, D.; Narendran, T. C. 2001. Insect visits to some bamboos of the Western Ghats, India.Current Science, , Vol.81, No.7, pp.833-838

6.06

Propagated by seeds, sprig and bareroots.

http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi

6.07

The flowering cycle is believed to be 80 (+ or - 8 years).

Koshy, K.C. and Pushpangadan, P. 1997. Bambusa vulgaris blooms, a leap towards extinction. Current Science. Vol 72(9): 622

7.01

Propagules do not have any means of attachment.

7.02

Horticultural varieties

7.03

No seed set recorded in this plant.

7.04

but rarely flowers

7.05

possibly if near water source, in Jamaica "restricted primarily to river courses, ponds, water holes, roadways, inaccessible hillsides, pastures…'

Rashford, J. H. 1995. The Past and present uses of Bamboo in Jamaica. Economic Botany. 49(4): 395

7.06

no evidence

7.07

no evidence

7.08

unlikely

8.01

(1) Flowering in B. vulgaris is not common. When a culm flowers, it produces a large number of flowers but no fruit, and eventually the culm dies. Caryopsis not known. (2)No seed set is reported in the common bamboo, Bambusa vulgaris , (Bambusoideae: Poaceae) so far. The causes for its sterility were studied through investigations on pollen fertility, viability, in vitro and in vivo germination and cytology. Very low pollen viability and high pollen sterility are due to meiotic irregularities. Although a small proportion of pollen grains germinated following manual pollination, pollen tubes were inhibited in the stigmatic papillae. Lack of seed set in this species seems to be the result of cumulative effect of a number of physical and physiological factors.

8.02

Viability is only for one season

http://www.robibrad.demon.co.uk/Bamboo.htm

8.03

No information regarding the control of this species.

8.04

(1)No coppice potential and no resprout ability. Contradictory to 1 (2) '…the prompt recovery of plants after severe harvesting - even clear cutting of clumps.'

(1)http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi (2)McClure, F.A. 1993. Smithsonian Institution press.

8.05

Don’t know.