Bamboo forests in Nepal: Status, distribution, research trends and contribution to local livelihoods

Bamboo, also known as "poor man's timber," is one of Nepal’s most significant forest species and is widely distributed through the country. Bamboo resources have tremendous social, cultural, and ecological implications, suggesting a need for further investigation and exploration. The majority of past studies have focused on the socio-economic and ethno-botanical aspects of bamboo in parts of Nepal but the ecological information and research statistics for bamboo, as well as its contribution to Nepalese communities, are still unexplored. This study reviewed the existing literature, and was supported by our research experience on the bamboo resource in Nepal. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta Analyses (PRISMA) method for systematically reviewing the literature related to bamboo. The review process mainly focused on three aspects that included (1) research trends on bamboo forests, (2) a review of the status and distribution of bamboo species in Nepal, (3) an assessment of bamboo forest ecosystem services. We found that a total of 12 genera and more than 53 bamboo species have been recorded in Nepal, with highest species diversity in the Hill region. Bamboo in Nepal provides different ecosystem services ranging from social (spiritual significance for local communities), economic (lumber, medicine, water, biofuel, and crafts), to ecological (carbon stock/sequestration, landscape restoration). It forms the basis for local livelihoods as well as enhancing the climate resilience of local communities in Nepal. However, the majority of studies on bamboo have concentrated on its economic potential with a low focus on provisioning, habitat and cultural services. This represents a major gap. The lack of data on various aspects of the conservation status of bamboos and the ecosystem services that they provide indicates the need for more detailed and comprehensive research on these aspects.