For the first time in its 120-year life, a Japanese bamboo is set to blossom and die:
Phyllostachys nigra var. henonis, a species of bamboo that grows throughout Japan, is set to flower for the first time in 120 years before going extinct.
The anticipated blossoming event in 2028 may have significant effects on the environment and economics of the nation.
However, scientists are unsure of the plant's specific regeneration process and what may transpire in another five years.
Panda-monium, which is associated with bamboo, occurs when giant pandas are housed at different latitudes:
When confined in zoos at latitudes distinct from their native land, giant pandas maintained in captivity may experience a phenomenon known as "jet lag."
Animals, like humans, have an internal circadian rhythm that is connected to their physiology and behavior, and it is synchronized with the outside world.
The goal of the study, which was published in Frontiers in Psychology, was to determine how giant panda behavior and activity were impacted by living at different latitudes. The researchers were from the University of Stirling in the United Kingdom.
According to the study, giant pandas have very seasonal lifestyles and favor eating specific bamboo species, especially their shoots. Springtime bamboo shoot arrivals initiate both migration and breeding, perhaps because it's simpler for pandas to locate one another while they're pursuing the same food supply.
It's possible that people began stripping bamboo 39,000 years ago:
Stone tools found in the Philippines show microscopic evidence of some of Southeast Asia’s oldest plant technology, dating back 33,000 to 39,000 years ago.
Stone tools found in Tabon Cave on the Philippine island of Palawan, are nearly 40,000 years old. Etched onto their hard surfaces are the microscopic marks of damage produced through repeated use.
Indigenous communities in the region today still use tools to strip bamboo and palm, turning the rigid plant matter into fibres that can be used for tying or weaving.
Our cricket bats may eventually be constructed of bamboo:
Cricket is heavily influenced by climate, but not in the way you may expect.
Willow is used to construct the classic cricket bat, but weather patterns could make it harder to collect the wood.
However, the search is on for substitute materials, and bamboo is one of them...
You must be logged in to post a comment.