This document provides guidance on using different mapping features (points, polylines, polygons) to document bamboo resources and describes the various attributes to collect for bamboo plantations, natural bamboo forests, harvesting, and disturbances. Points can represent individual clumps, polylines can indicate farm boundaries or rows of clumps, and polygons delineate block plantations. The document outlines attributes like species, age, density, and measurements to record for clumps/culms based on the mapping feature and type of site being documented.

1. Criteria for select a point or polyline or polygon
Point:
Point is commonly used for single or few bamboo clumps in an individual households
and in farm land.
Example pictures are as below:
Polyline:
Polyline can be commonly used for farm boundary planting, steam or river bank
planting. There can be single row of bamboo clumps in a line or two or three rows of
bamboo in a line

2. Polygon:
Polygon can be generally used for block planting in a farm (like a plantation). Pictures
illustrating this is shown below

3. Type of Survey:
There are three options on the type of survey
1) Plantation: Plantation is used for quantification or inventory of bamboo in
homesteads and farm land. This will be the most commonly used – as the
primary objective of the bamboo application is to quantify the bamboo resources
in a particular area.
2) Natural bamboo forest: Natural bamboo forest active use area (harvest and
management). Bamboo forest is forest that canopy cover consists of at least 50%
of bamboo.
3) Barren land for bamboo plantation: Areas of barren land that can be used for
establishment of bamboo plantation
PLANTATION/ NATURAL FOREST/ Barren land
Administrative details:
Select from the drop down list: The country, regions/ provinces are already included.
You cannot do manual entry as it creates error in data analysis.
District and other administrative units: You need to manually input the text of
administrative units. Please ensure inputting right spelling for all the entries.
Name of Owner: Enter the full name of owner manually.
Telephone Number: Enter the telephone number of owner manually. No need to put in
country code. This attribute feature is optional
Land tenure or Land Certificate: There are three options – Yes or No or under
processing. Choose from the drop down Menu.
FSC certificate: There are three options – Yes or No or under processing. Choose from
the drop down Menu.
Site Condition: There are three options (a) Mountainous with steep slope; (b) gentle
slope and (c) flat land (Choose one of them from the drop down menu according to the
site condition
Type of Soil: There are four options (a) rocky soil); (b) clayey soil; (c) sandy soil; (d)
loamy soil. Choose the appropriate soil from the drop down menu. Pictures are shown
below to illustrate the soil type for your reference:

4. Rocky Soil Loamy soil
Clayey soil Sandy Soil
Type of Bamboo:
In the drop down menu there are two options
(a) Clump bamboo: Most of the species in Africa – Yushania alpina, Oxytenanthera
abyssinica, Bambusa vulgaris, Dendrocalamus asper, Dendrocalamus giganteus,
etc are belonging to clumping variety. It is alternatively called as sympodial
bamboo.
(b) Running bamboo: This is monopodial bamboo; applies to Phyllostatchys species
found in Madagascar, Uganda (imported from China). It is also called monopodial
bamboo
Pictures of clumping bamboo and running bamboo are shown below for your reference:

5. Clumping Bamboo (Above)
Running bamboo
If Chosen, clump bamboo
Age of bamboo forest
Age of plantation means the age of bamboo clumps. There are different options
(1,2,3,4,5,6,7-10, 11-20, 21-30, 30+years). Choose form the drop down menu. For
example, if the bamboo planting was undertaken in current year. Choose ‘1’.
Age of natural forest: select N/A (Not Available)
Type of plantation:
There are different options in drop down menu
(a) Household Planting: One of few bamboo clumps planted in their household or in
homestead or in their farm.
(b) Farm Boundary planting: Bamboo planted on farm boundaries

6. (c) Block Planting (farm): Planted on farm land as block plantation
(d) Shelter belt: Bamboo planted to protect river bank erosion, etc
(e) Communal / forest planting: Block planting in communal or forest land
Type of natural bamboo forest:
a) Production bamboo forest
b) Protection bamboo forest
Name of Species:
Choose the name of species from drop down menu (Included the most bamboo species
in East Africa; Indigenous or Introduced
Species
Name
Photograph (for reference)
Yushania
alpina (or
commonly
known as
African
highland
bamboo)
Oxytenanther
a abyssinica
(Commonly
known as
African
lowland
bamboo)
Dendrocalam
us giganteus

7. Bambusa
vulgaris
(yellow)
Bambusa
vulgaris
(Green)
Dendrocalam
us
membranaceu
s
Bambusa
multiplex

8. Dendrocalam
us asper
Cephalostach
yum
pergracile
Dendrocalam
us yunnanesis

9. Dendrocalam
us barbatus
Bambusa
polymorpha
Bambusa
balcooa
Bambusa
nutans

10. Dendrocalam
us strictus
Dendrocalam
us hamiltonii
Bambusa
tulda
Dendrocalam
us
longispathus

11. Bambusa
bambos
Valiha diffusa
A. Small area, (estimation of the area is about 1 ha)
Number of Clumps: Count the number of clumps in the mapped area and input it
What is a clump? : A cluster of bamboo poles which are inter-connected or belonging to
a single bamboo plant
.
Average Clump Area: Identify the representative clump among the different clumps in
a point, polyline or polygon and measure the area.

12. Clump Area = Length X Width (LX W). Once the input of L X W is done, the application
automatically calculates the area of the clump. Please note, the measurement are in
meters.
Approx. number of poles / culm per clump of year 1
Approx. number of poles / culm per clump of year 2
Approx. number of poles / culm per clump of year 3
Approx. number of poles / culm per clump of year 3+
What is a culm: Individual or one bamboo pole in a clump is called as culm.
In the representative clump, count the number of bamboo poles / culm of Year 1, 2, 3.
and 3+ years and input it in the respective data entry tabs.
Year 1: Newly emerged bamboo poles (between Age 0 -1 years)
Year 2: Bamboo poles emerged before oneyear (between 1-2 years)
Year 3: Bamboo poles emerged before two years (between 2-3 years)
Year 3+: Bamboo poles emerged before three years (above 3 years of age)
If the bamboo planting was done in current year, you will not have to enter the data of
number of bamboo poles or culms of year 2, Year 3, year 3, Year 3+.
How to identify Year 1, 2, 3 and 3+:
Younger bamboo poles of Year 1 is mostly located on the outer periphery. It is having
culm sheath, white hairs and bright and appealing in color. Year 2 bamboo poles are
located on the inside perimeter of clump, it is dull in color and have slightly weathered
having slight moulds growth on the outer skin. It is dull coloured than year 1 bamboo
pole and less appealing. Year 3 and year 3+ bamboo poles are generally located on
center of clumps, due to weathering and environmental factors, it has high degree of
moulds and fungal growth on surface. As a thumb rule, older the bamboo poles, it has
more mould and fungal growth; thereby more uglier on the outside surface.

13. Year 1 (<1 Year) Year 2 (1-2 year) Year 3 (2-3 years) Year 3+
Average Clump Diameter:
From the drop-down menu, select the estimated or measure the diameter of clump.
Average Clump Height:
This is the height of the clump. Please note in many bamboo species, the bamboo poles
are bent down from the top, so, after estimating few bamboo clumps, input the height of
the clump.
Use the bamboo poles which are cut down by the farmers to measure average clump
height. Alternatively, an altimeter can be used.
Average culm / pole height:
Use the bamboo poles cut down by the farmers to measure the average pole height.
Average culm or pole diameter (cm).
Measurement is in Cm. The measurement can be taken at DBH or 150 cm height.

14. Circumference can be measured and the converted into Diameter
Option 1: Diameter = circumference / Pi or 3.14
Option 2: Just measure the diameter using calliper or meter tape
Culm / Pole internodal length (cm)
If there are culms / pole already cut down by the farmers, select he longest and measure
culm intermodal length
Culm / pole wall thickness:

15. Measure the culm or pole wall thickness at the bottom portion. Use the bamboo already
cut down by farmers.
Use Vernier calliper or meter tape. The measurement is in cm.
Number of culms measurement:
All culms are measured. The average culm parameter (Dbh) will be calculated and
entered in the App. In case, the clump is too dense, some representative culms can be
measured for calculation of average parameter.
Wall thickness and internode: select representative culm of three years old
Time of Survey and date of Survey:
Time of survey and Date of survey is automatically filled in by the application
Note of Survey:
If there is anything unusual observed during the survey that can be recorded.
For example, if the bamboo planting was done by project, we can include it “Example:
Dutch-Sino Project; or SLMP II, or South South Phase II”.
TAKE PHOTO: Always take photo in horizontal orientation, the top of the phone should
in in your right hand side.
If “Running bamboo” option is chosen
Since the bamboos are not clumped, the number of culm or pole needs to be estimated
for 10 Sq. M. Make three plots, count the number of poles in each plot; average it and
input the number of poles in 10 Sq. M area.
All the other attributes for inputs remains the same.

16. B. Large area(great than 1 ha)
Lay out some sample plots of 100 m2 each for measurement and calculation of average
parameters: (number of sample plots depends on the size and heterogeneity of the
areas)
Number of clump per ha:
Average clump diameter:
Average clump height:
Average number of culms per clump:
Average culm height
Average Dbh:
Average wall thickness:
Average internode:
HARVESTING.
This is mainly used by industries / entrepreneurs who purchase bamboo from farmers
to documentthe benefits to farmersdueto bamboo polesupply. This is mainly usedwhen
the supply chain is established, and the industries are procuring bamboo from the
farmers.
All the other attributes are same as “plantation”
Data specific to harvesting are explained below:
Approx. Date of harvesting: Input the approximate date of harvesting by selecting the
date, month and year from the menu.
Method of harvesting: There are two options in drop down menu (a) mature pole (3+
years harvesting) or (b) random harvesting.
Average number of culms harvested per year: This is equivalent to the number of
bamboo poles purchased from the farmers.
Average cost of culm /poles (in respective currency): Input the cost of bamboo pole
in your currency. No need to include currency before the numbers.
Condition of clump: There are two options, (a) healthy and (b) unhealthy. Input it
based on your observation. If the clumps have good proposition of year 1, Year 2 and
Year 3 and the emerging new poles are of good size (similar to old ones), then the
clumps are healthy or the clumps are unhealthy. There should be more number of
younger poles (Year 1 and Year 2) and less number of bamboo poles of more than 3
years standing in the clumps

17. Silvicultural treatment: Based on observation and information from farmers, input the
silvicultural treatments the farmers do from the drop down menu
Time of Survey and date of Survey:
Time of survey and Date of survey is automatically filled in by the application
Note of Survey:
If there is anything unusual observed during the survey that can be recorded.
Alternatively, this can also be used for “sustainable management observation”. Map the
area of forest / plantation brought under sustainable management and harvesting and
enter the attribute data.
Disturbance:
Disturbance data collection is included to document the disturbance to bamboo
plantation.
Most of the attribute data to be collected are same as in “plantation”. The specific
attributes or data are explained as below:
Total Area (Sq. M): In the case of point, measure the clump area; in the case of polyline,
the application automatically calculates are length; the user need to input the width, so
the area is automatically calculated. In the case of polygon, just walk around the area of
disturbance, after clicking the track log, the area of disturbance is automatically
calculated.
Approx. Date of Disturbance: Enter the date of disturbance
Type of disturbance: choose the type of disturbance from the drop down menu
Time of Survey and date of Survey:
Time of survey and Date of survey is automatically filled in by the application
Note of Survey:
If there is anything unusual observed during the survey that can be recorded.