User:Jincy Thomas

PREPONDERENCE OF BAMBOO ON SOIL EROSION

Bamboo is a greenish huge plant which grows very high. There are different varieties of bamboo. Heavy thick green bamboo is found common in forests and near the banks. The yellow coloured bamboo is used as a decor in the lawns of houses. Even small bamboo is considered to a plant of luck and is placed in houses as a sign of good fortune .It grows nearly 13 inches in 24 hours. Bamboo produces more oxygen than the other trees. It is a purifier of air also. These plants flower once in 40 to 60 years and after which they die off and again starts sprouting out. It is of huge use to the mankind wherein people depend on it for various uses beginning from the very old age.

One the most important aspect of the bamboo is it's root system which plays a vital role in controlling the effects of soil erosion. The root system is spread widely which has the capability to hold on the soil tight which prevents the soil from eroding off. If bamboo is planted on steepy slopes which has the probability of eroding, the effect can be controlled due to bamboos. The roots of bamboo spread deep into the soil covering large area and holding the soil firm. An ultimate measure to control soil erosion is - bamboo.

Many years back in China during a heavy calamity the only plant that sustained was bamboo due to it's strong root system. Bamboo is of huge importance. Bitherkad is a place in Tamil Nadu wherein a lot of bamboo is present as the name itself suggests Bither - means bamboo and kad - means forest. Here soil erosion is controlled due to the existence of bamboo plants. On the borders between Kerala and Tamil Nadu a way connecting from Nadugani to Nilambur landslides are common during heavy rain. It's observed that the places near Tamil Nadu has more effect than that near the Kerala borders. There are a lot to huge bamboo plants on the slopy regions near Kerala but which is lacked near Tamil Nadu. So planting of bamboo can prevent the impact of soil erosion as it is a great disadvantage for the growth of other plants and vegetation.

The disadvantage of bamboo is that during hot seasons, due to intense heat there is a chance of catching fire. Despite this bamboos are of prime importance in steep gullies in order to prevent soil erosion. Bamboos are used for making many useful decorants. It is also used as a medicinal plant even nowadays. The most effective use of bamboo is controlling the soil from degrading off the land during heavy showers.