The Trend of Growth Characteristics of Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) Forests under an unmanaged Condition in Central Taiwan

Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens) is one of the important bamboo species in Taiwan. In this study, we investigated the stand density, growth characteristics, and aboveground biomass (AGB) of moso bamboo in an unmanaged condition between 2008 and 2014 in Sanjiaolun District, central Taiwan. The moso bamboo plantations had stand densities of between 5733±896 and 13,067±551 culms ha^(-1) and values of diameter at breast height (DBH) of between 5.5±0.5 and 6.3±0.2 cm. Biomass was estimated by allometric models, and the prediction indicated that the moso bamboo forest had AGB of 38.4±6.3 to 60.4±6.9 Mg ha^(-1). All results indicated that the average DBH decreased after 2 yr, the density of small bamboo (diameter class ＜ 4.0 cm) increased, and the AGB of old bamboo was sharply increasing in an unmanaged condition of moso bamboo forests.