From forest to future: A sustainable perspective on bamboo’s nexus with biodiversity, indigenous knowledge, ecological resilience, and current status in Northeast India

Abstract

Bamboo is a multifunctional and ecologically significant plant species, has garnered increasing research attention in recent years. Northeast India, recognized as a global hotspot of bamboo diversity, harbors 22 genera and 103 species, with the highest richness in Arunachal Pradesh (58 species), followed by Meghalaya (48), Manipur (40), and Assam (38). A systematic review of literature related to bamboo was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. This review synthesizes evidence on bamboo’s role in sustaining biodiversity, enhancing ecological resilience, and supporting community livelihoods. The findings highlight that bamboo forests contribute substantially to soil stabilization, watershed protection, and carbon sequestration, thereby mitigating the impacts of climate change. Bamboo also functions as a keystone species, supporting diverse flora and fauna, while serving as a renewable resource for food, medicine, construction, and handicrafts. Despite accounting for over 50 % of India’s bamboo species, the region faces persistent challenges, including habitat degradation, limited market access, and weak policy frameworks. The review identifies three key outcomes: (i) bamboo-based industries and community-led management can enhance rural economies while conserving biodiversity; (ii) integrating indigenous knowledge with scientific approaches strengthens resource governance and ecological restoration; and (iii) policy interventions tailored to regional contexts are essential for balancing conservation with development. Collectively, these insights establish bamboo as a cornerstone of sustainability in NER and demonstrate its potential as a global model for aligning biodiversity conservation with cultural and economic resilience.