Hill Bamboos - Socio-economic Significance and Conservation Imperatives : a Case Study from Himachal Pradesh

Hill bamboos, locally called 'Nirgal', form a very important vegetation component in the Sutlej catchment falling under the Rampur Forest Division and Kotgarh Forest Division of Shimla District in Himachal Pradesh. Two species of this bamboo group viz. Sinarundinaria falcata and Thamnocalamus spathiflorus have been reported from these forest divisions. This paper, on the basis of empirical data, highlights the socio-economic significance of these bamboo species in the study area. Major threats to the wild populations of these species and conservation strategies for better management of this resource have also been discussed in this paper.