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Environmental Anthropologist and new BamCore member Dr. Tamara Britton-Mendieta shares insights from her research on the social and ecological importance of bamboo forests and how coexistence between people and nature is possible through sustainable practices.
In today's global marketplace, I think we would all agree that bamboo is emerging as a quintessential green building alternative and a climate-smart solution, redefining construction practices worldwide. With its rapid growth, self-propagation, and minimal environmental footprint, bamboo offers a compelling case for reducing carbon emissions and promoting green building techniques.
Timber bamboo's exceptional strength-to-weight ratio makes it an ideal material for construction. However, its long history of use as a raw material indicates that bamboo is also essential to the construction of identities and social relationships of those participating in the exchange process – as well as the ecologies of nonhuman ‘others’.
It is through this lens that bamboo becomes more than just a commodity; it's the resilient thread weaving ecosystems, cultures, and endangered species together in a delicate dance of survival and sustainability.
Bamboo Forests are Vital for Safeguarding Endangered Species, Like Primates
In the coastal region of Ecuador, bamboo forests play a crucial role in supporting both local communities and endangered primates like the Ecuadorian mantled howler monkey and white-fronted capuchin – on the IUCN Red List as one of the 25 most Critically Endangered primates worldwide. In a region with over 90% of all original forest coverage lost, bamboo forms vital habitats that are increasingly rare due to deforestation from surrounding agriculture, aquaculture, and cattle ranching.
The Pacoche Coastal and Marine Wildlife Refuge—where Tamara’s research takes place—stands as a beacon of hope with its mosaic landscape, where misty bamboo forests of Guadua angustifolia kunth thrive alongside agroforests and dry savannah ecosystems as a hotspot for biodiversity.
Here, bamboo isn't just a resilient building material; it's a lifeline for primates navigating fragmented forests. Howler monkeys deftly use bamboo culms as natural canopy bridges and vantage points, while capuchins tap on them to find hidden prey, all within dense, protective groves that shield them from predators.
Furthermore, bamboo's extensive root system helps prevent soil erosion and enhances soil health, making it an asset in sustainable land management practices. In Ecuador, where biodiversity is rich and ecosystems are fragile, bamboo cultivation offers a practical way to preserve natural habitats while promoting economic development. When harvested according to sustainable guidelines, bamboo groves fill gaps in the forest canopy, providing arboreal species like primates necessary habitat and access to otherwise isolated food resources.
Bamboo Harvesting: An Integral Component of Cultural Heritage
Bamboo in the coastal province of Manabí—where the Pacoche Wildlife Refuge is found—is the backbone of the subsistence economy. Highly valued for its strength and flexibility, Guadua bamboo, locally referred to as caña brava, is harvested by smallholders to meet diverse infrastructure needs. Many coastal Ecuadorians still dwell in traditional bamboo homes, feeling a deep ancestral bond with this resource, once used to build entire cities like the port city of Manta. Following the 2016 earthquake, there has been a resurgence in the demand for bamboo, now for eco-friendly and seismically resilient structures.
Through a community-based approach consisting of interviews with smallholders and a bamboo harvesting workshop, Tamara’s research uncovered that local communities are deeply connected to bamboo as a vital component of their cultural heritage. Smallholders shared their ecological knowledge of the harvesting process, in sync with lunar and tidal cycles, and strategically placed machete cuts to ensure the health of the underground rhizome structure is protected. Sharing the importance of meticulously caring for the bamboo groves on their properties, these stewards of the land safeguard biodiversity while ensuring a steady yield—a sense of responsibility, identity, and the ownership they inherited.
For local smallholders or montañeros (as participants referred to themselves), knowledge of proper harvesting is proudly viewed as a symbol of ingroup identity. Despite its ecological and social importance, illegal clear-cutting of bamboo groves by those from outside the community pose a significant threat, contrasting with the low impact practices of local farmers.
The community leader of Pacoche asserts, “You can’t cut anything near water sources or on public property; everyone around here who works in the forest knows this”.
As bamboo groves often concentrate along ravine edges, they play a vital ecological role in regulating water sources and protecting riverbanks from erosion. These ecological benefits can be attributed to the interwoven rhizome structure of bamboo that helps to provide sediment retention and maintain natural retaining walls along waterways.
Smallholders shared how they act as the eyes and ears of the forest by reporting any evidence of improper harvesting to the local community leader, as well as areas along the highway where bamboo has grown up in proximity to dangerous powerlines, causing a risk of electrocution for arboreal species like primates.
However, as land is increasingly sold and bought by expats and city dwellers, there exists a rising concern that younger generations are losing these rich cultural traditions and responsibilities towards the land.
Bamboo as part of the Circular Economy
The local use of bamboo exemplifies the principles of the circular economy, where every part of the plant is utilized—from a wide variety of construction needs to artisan crafts. This holistic approach not only supports local livelihoods but also minimizes waste and environmental impact, reinforcing bamboo's role as a sustainable resource, hopefully for generations to come.
These coexistent practices underscore the importance of preserving and restoring bamboo habitats in coastal Ecuador. By embracing sustainable practices and passing on traditional knowledge, we can safeguard these critical ecosystems for future generations, ensuring a future where humans and primates thrive together in shared landscapes.
Final Remarks
Bamboo is more than just a commodity; it's a testament to nature's ingenuity and humanity's potential for resiliency. Choosing bamboo as a building material not only enhances environmental sustainability but also empowers communities and preserves cultural heritage. By recognizing its myriad uses and ecological benefits, we not only enrich our lives but also safeguard the planet for generations to come. So, the next time you encounter bamboo—whether in a hardware store or department store aisle, an online marketplace, or even in its natural environment—remember this story.
As pioneers of the green building revolution, BamCore is committed to contributing to healthy ecosystems through sustainable forestry practices (SDG #15), while generating equitable economic benefits along the supply chain (SDG #8).
Let's embrace bamboo not just as a resource but as a symbol of our commitment to a greener, brighter and more equitable future.
Tamara Britton-Mendieta earned her PhD from the University of Western Ontario in Sociocultural Anthropology and Environmental Sustainability. She is currently the co-founder of the MonoMico project, a community-based conservation collaborative, and is interested in themes surrounding sustainable bamboo forestry/land management practices, primate conservation and community development.
References:
Binfield, L., Britton, T. L., Dai, C., & Innes, J. (2022). Evidence on the social, economic, and environmental impact of interventions that facilitate bamboo industry development for sustainable livelihoods: a systematic map protocol. Environmental Evidence, 11(1), 33.
Britton, T. L. (2024). People, Primates and Bamboo: An Ethnography of Convivial Connections between Conservation, Development and Identity on the Ecuadorian Coast, (PhD Dissertation). Electronic Thesis Dissertation Repository, Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, CA. Available for download in September 2024.
Britton, T. L. (2018). Perceptions of Primates and Protected Areas: Ethnoprimatological Implications for Conservation in the Pacoche Refuge (Master’s thesis). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 6037. Department of Anthropology, University of Western Ontario, London, CA. Retrieved from https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/6037.
INBAR. (2010). El Manejo de los Guaduales Naturales: Experiencia del proyecto manejo integral de guadua en el norte del Manglarito. Retrieved from: https://issuu.com/inbarlac.media/docs/2010-el_manejo_de_guaduales_natural
Lobovikov, M., Schoene, D., & Yiping, L. (2012). Bamboo in climate change and rural livelihoods. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 17(3), 261-276.
Paudyal, K., Yanxia, L., Long, T. T., Adhikari, S., Lama, S., & Bhatta, K. P. (2022). Ecosystem services from bamboo forests: Key findings, lessons learnt and call for actions from global synthesis. Beijing. INBAR.
Yiping, L., & Henley, G. (2010). Biodiversity in Bamboo Forests: A policy perspective for long-term sustainability (No. 59; p. 34). INBAR Working Paper 59.
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