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*Schedule* Workshop 1 -- 14-17 June, 2004 Iguazu National Park, Argentina
Workshop 2 -- 21-24 June, 2004 Los Amigos Research Center, Peru
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Bamboos are woody grasses that have dramatic and far-reaching consequences on the stability and productivity of forests in which they are common. More than 180,000 km2 in the southwest Amazon are occupied by bamboo, and Atlantic forests of Brazil have been called �the world�s bamboo garden� due to their high endemism and diverse bamboo flora. The ways in which bamboos influence rates of nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, and regeneration following disturbance result directly from their distinct growth form and reproductive strategies. Bamboos are able to compete successfully with trees due to their high intrinsic growth rates and pattern of vegetative reproduction that allows them to spread rapidly, as well as inhibit the establishment of tree seedlings. The majority of bamboo species are monocarpic, meaning that bamboo dominated forests experience an intrinsic level of disturbance above and beyond what results from exogenous forces (e.g., fire, clearing, windstorms). Despite the important role that bamboo can play in forest ecosystems, little is known of the basic biology of these keystone species and how they influence population dynamics and ecosystem processes. The workshops proposed here will provide a forum for the exchange of scientific information, as well as lead to the development of a coordinated strategy and cooperative network to increase our understanding of how these woody grasses exert such a marked effect on forest ecosystems. Advancing research in this area is a high priority given the strong positive feedback between anthropogenic disturbance and invasion of forest regions by bamboo.
The goals of the proposed workshops are twofold. The first is to coordinate ongoing research activities across sites, including standardizing methods and establishing regional data bases on topics such as flowering events. The second is to develop an agenda for future research on bamboo-dominated forests. Funds to support two workshops are requested, allowing participants to visit study sites in bamboo-dominated Amazonian and Atlantic forests. The workshops will focus on (i) how bamboo influences forest productivity and nutrient cycling, (ii) what factors influence the successional trajectory following flowering events and die-off; and (iii) what are the physiological mechanisms that make some bamboo species so invasive. Technical issues to be discussed include the potential for using remote sensing to study spatial patterns of bamboo colonization, the role of bamboo in the conservation of endangered vertebrates, and forest management recommendations to limit the spread of bamboo following disturbance events.
*Main Participants*
*Collaborating Institutions*
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Background photo C_ramosissima courtesy Lynn Clark. Please send comments/ suggestions to the webmaster. Last updated April 10, 2004