CORRESPONDENCE

Gregarious flowering of a long-lived tropical semelparous dullooa in

Schizostachyum dullooa (Gamble) Maju- entire forest range of Innerline Reserve reported from Rangamati, Chittagong hill mder (dolu bamboo) is a thin-walled Forest of Cachar district (Figure 2). tract, Bangladesh10,11. Reports from sympodial moderate size to large tufted Flowering was observed in all the culm Kassalong Reserve, revealed bamboo. The species is distributed in the ages present in the clump. The flowering the flowering cycle of 47 years (1927– moist semi-evergreen forests of northeast began in mid-October after the rainy sea- 1974)12. Flowering cycle of 37 years (Assam, , Meghalaya, Tri- son and continued till December. Young (1962–1999) was reported from pura and ) to Sylhet, Chittagong inflorescences within few weeks turned Hazarikhil, Chittagong hill tract, Bangla- and Chittagong hill tracts of Bangla- into huge inflorescences. Leaves in the desh13. Moreover, sporadic nature of desh1. This is a dominant bamboo species culm gradually turned brown and culm flowering was also reported during 1951 in the successional fallows of northeast became leafless. In Cachar, gregarious and 1967–1968 from Assam14, and during India2 and forms the overriding vegeta- flowering was reported during 1962 (ref. 1990 from Chittagong hill tract, Bangla- tion in tropical and subtropical hill 9). There is no available report of gre- desh1. Therefore, the flowering nature of slopes in which it grows. This is one of garious flowering of the species after the species is mostly gregarious (37–48 the important bamboo species after 1962, revealing the flowering cycle of years) and occasionally sporadic type. in the hill tracts of the species as 48 years. The flowering The growing commercial trade of the Cachar District, Assam and has been cycle of 47 years (1880–1927) was species from its natural habitat has harvested by human populations for sub- sistence and commercial needs since time immemorial. Internodes of the green culm are used for preparation of a tradi- tional food during the religious harvest festival in addition to its wide range of uses in house construction, fencing and craft making3. Young shoots of the spe- cies is also a food item of Phayre’s leaf monkey during the rainy season (Figure 1). The importance of the species as the provider of ecosystem services4 is clear from the numerous ways through which it generates services. Gregarious flowering occurs almost over the entire area and flowering is fol- 5 lowed by the death of the clump . Some are perennial monocarps with Figure 1. Phayre’s leaf monkey (Trachypithecus phayrei ) in the bamboo dominated stand. long flowering intervals6. During vari- able cycle periods, bamboos die over a large area after mass synchronous flow- ering and setting of seeds7. Flowering happens after many years of vegetative growth, varying from 20 to 60 or even 120 years5. Bamboo die-off events have severe ecological and economic impacts on the ecosystem, viz. exposed forest soil, food crisis for dependent animals, unsuitability of dried culms for pulp and paper, and cottage industries8. Therefore, knowledge of exact flowering cycle of each species is necessary for the effec- tive management of bamboo stands to make adequate arrangement for proper utilization of culms and the storage of seeds8. S. dullooa is a semelparous species that has a long period of vegetative growth followed by mass flowering. Re- cently, the species was flowering in the Figure 2. Profusely flowered Schizostachyum dullooa stand.

154 CURRENT SCIENCE, VOL. 99, NO. 2, 25 JULY 2010 CORRESPONDENCE resulted in excessive harvest and therefore seed collection, protection of natural re- 9. Nath, G. M., Indian For., 1962, 88, generated concern about overexploita- generation, and creation of seed and 523. tion3. The present flowering phenomenon seedling bank are also required. 10. Gamble, J. S., The of British of the species may be an opportunity in India, Bengal Secretariat Press, Calcutta,

1896. disguise to study the gregarious flower- 1. Banik, R. L., Silviculture and Field- 11. Trevor, C. G., Indian For., 1927, 53, ing of the species in relation to biotic 718. interferences. Further study is essential guide to Priority Bamboos of Bangladesh and South Asia, Bangladesh Forest Re- 12. Hasan, S. M., Bano Biggyan Patrika, after die-off event to evaluate how the search Institute, Chittagong, 2000. 1973, 5, 21–36. rural people convene their alternate 2. Rao, K. S., Ramakrishnan, P. S. and 13. Banik, R. L., Bangladesh J. For. Sci., requirements that otherwise are depend- Saxena, K. G., Bamboo J., 1990, 8, 92– 1999, 28, 69–74. ent on the species for their rural subsis- 99. 14. Gupta, K. K., Indian For., 1972, 98, 83– tence. It is also important at this stage to 3. Nath, A. J., Das, G. and Das, A. K., 85. strengthen research to determine the J. Am. Bamboo Soc., 2007, 20, 15–20. effect of die-off event on the vegetational 4. Singh, S. P., Curr. Sci., 2002, 82, 1331– ARUN JYOTI NATH structure and functional aspect of the 1335. ASHESH KUMAR DAS* forest. It would also be interesting to 5. McClure, F. A., Bamboos – A Fresh Per- spective, Harvard University Press, explore the response of herbs, shrubs and Cambridge, 1966. tree seedlings to formation of exposed Department of Ecology and 6. Soderstrom, T. R. and Calderon, C. E., patches subsequent to the gregarious Biotropica, 1979, 11, 161–172. Environmental Science, flowering of the species. Moreover, 7. Janzen, D. H., Annu. Rev. Ecol. Syst., Assam University, factors affecting recovery of original 1976, 7, 347–391. Silchar 788 011, India population size required detailed study. 8. Koshy, K. C. and Mathew, P. J., Curr. *e-mail: [email protected] Certain management considerations like Sci., 2009, 96, 769–770.

Western Arunachal Pradesh offering prime home to the endangered red panda

Arunachal Pradesh, an abode of biodi- provinces of in the east with its inhabiting some of the most fascinating versity and one among the 200 globally distribution in India along the Eastern wild flora and fauna. important ecoregions in the world, is Himalaya including Arunachal Pradesh, During the field surveys in these con- fortunately situated in the north-eastern Sikkim and Darjeeling. However, accord- ferred sites, the red panda presence has part of India. With the Eastern Himalaya ing to IUCN, more than 90% of its been confirmed through various direct extending into its western part, the state approximate total habitat in the country (sightings, kills and carcasses) and indi- harbours an elegant range of endangered is contributed by Arunachal Pradesh. rect (scats, pug mark, scratch mark, pelts and endemic flora and fauna together However, the population remained and secondary information from the local with the most striking creature of the undocumented until the WWF-India in communities) evidences. Scats and a north-eastern forests, i.e. the red panda western Arunachal Pradesh initiated a number of skins of the animal have been (Ailurus fulgens). Posing a taxonomic baseline survey on the population status found in Mandla. However, the presence dilemma since a long time, the red or and distribution of red panda along with of the elusive red panda from the Pang- lesser panda has been placed in the order the threats faced by the species in the chen valley has been revealed through a Carnivora and is the monotypic member area. Intensive field and questionnaire number of direct animal sightings mostly of the family Ailuridae and the only surveys have been conducted at the in November together with an apprecia- representative species of the Ailu- Pangchen valley and the Mandla area ble number of scats found at an average rus (Eisenberg 1981). Adapted to a bam- occupying remote locations in the state elevation of 3200 m in different parts of boo diet despite being a carnivore, the and falling under the Tawang and West the valley. Since a long time, frequent animal occupies a highly specialized Kameng districts respectively. Both the red panda sightings were reported on the niche and is protected under Schedule sites have been declared as IBAs under Sorbus sp. (Laju) tree by the local com- I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) the Important Bird Area Programme by munities, which have now been confirmed Act, 1972 and listed in Appendix I of Birdlife International, United States by more than 85% of the evidences. Convention on International Trade in being the Zemithang–Nelya IBA and However, the Sorbus sp. and the most Endangered Species (CITES) and as ‘en- Mandla–Phudung IBA in the Pangchen commonly known food of the animal dangered’ by the International Union for valley and Mandla respectively. Fur- almost all over its distribution range, i.e. Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The thermore, the sites exhibit prolific habi- the Thamnocalamus sp. (Bamboo) have geographical range of the red panda tats mostly decked with temperate been found to be the most preferred extends from in the west to a few conifer and temperate broadleaf forests among the available species. In

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