View allAll Photos Tagged Freezing-Temperatures
Take a walk this evening at the park near the hostel (Metro Konkovo). Yup,i went there lots of time and i still love this place. During winter, the lake frozen by the freezing temperature and we can even walk on it. Winter is coming, and i'll definitely choose this place again for winter shooting.
After a few days of below freezing temperatures it warmed up to 16C. I mixed one cup of sugar with one cup of boiling water, let it cool, then used it in a spray bottle on one of the plants in my yard. On the plus side the girls find the sugar water pretty easily and feed on it, letting me get close to them. The down side is that they'll lick it off the side of flowers and leaves and they're constantly moving.
Tech Specs: Canon 70D (F16, 1/250, ISO 100) + a Canon MP-E 65mm macro lens (~1x) + a diffused MT-24EX. This is a single, uncropped, frame taken hand held.
Cupid's Undie Run-Chicago, around Cubs baseball field. 9-II-'13. Fundraiser for a children tumor charity. Snow on the ground and about freezing temperature!
Sadly, after days of high seas and freezing temperatures, the search for 5 missing fishermen is discontinuing, and hope is lost for their survival.
atlantic.ctvnews.ca/search-scaled-back-for-missing-nova-s...
We had rain yesterday followed by freezing temperatures overnight and today, so everything has a thin coat of ice on it today. What great timing for the letter F! I couldn’t decide on a favorite picture for today, so I’m submitting two pictures for the letter F. No critters were harmed in the making of these pictures, but my fingers sure got cold!
February Alphabet Fun 2020
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - Freezing temperatures, muddy conditions, simulated explosions and countless physical challenges awaited Team APG Soldiers and civilians who honored the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor during the Physically, Mentally and Emotionally, or PME, Hard Challenge, Dec. 9, 2016.
Held on the grounds of the former Ordnance Museum on APG North (Aberdeen), the even focused on a range of survival tactics used by the survivors – and victims – of the infamous Dec. 7, 1941 attack.
Our little foster kitten, Gandalf found a home over the Christmas holidays. I took this not long before he went back to the shelter and found a home. I miss him so much, but I'm glad that he now has a family that loves him as much as we did!
We have another foster kitten, who looks a lot like little Gandalf. He's only 2 months old and was rescued from the freezing temperatures. He's not used to people yet, and he shivers and hides away, but he's been here a few days and we've already seen improvement! He'll be sweet and cuddly in no time.
(c) Kayla Burton
Do not use without my permission.
Taken on a very cold photoshoot with the amazing Tamara. She is a true professional to work with, staying focused and collected in freezing temperatures.
A weekend away was my first visit to Schokland. I had looked it up on a Dark-sky map but ended up a little disappointed with the amount of light pollution. As the landscape itself is very flat, with the odd line of trees, I decided to use the trees outlining the property we staid at for foreground interest
Without a place to leave the camera and go back in, I decided not to do star trails in the near freezing temperatures.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Samyang 14mmt/3.1
20s
ISO1600
Flash (off, did not fire)
Black Pond is on the Meriden / Middlefield line. It was pitch black outside at 6:40 a.m. I had the camera mounted to a tripod and used a 30 second esposure at f./ 5.6, with an ISO rating at 250. Pretty cool.
January 17, 2016 - PENTAX K-x- smc PENTAX-DA 18-55mm F3.5-5.6 AL - 07-40-56 - 30.0 sec at f - 5.6 - ISO 250 - Manual- 18 mm- 27 mm.
A Kashmiri man paddles to a floating market in the early freezing temperatures before sunrise on Dal Lake in the summer capital of Kashmir, Srinagar India, November 24. In the background, echoing through the nearby mountains, gunshots and fighting could be heard. Kashmir was once a tourist hotspot but now vendors struggle to survive in a place that has seen nearly 1000 civilians killed this year alone and 1,765 wounded in a brutal conflict.
Even when enjoying a hot bath, Luna could not escape the memory of the ice, snow, and freezing temperatures she had just faced--and that were predicted to continue.
"I feel I am in the Arctic and need to be rescued from some scientific expedition," thought Luna. "We would be more comfortable if we were polar bears!"
The freezing temperatures during the night created this light fog gliding over the calm water of Beaver Dam Pond in Acadia NP, ME.
Below freezing temperatures earlier this week- and today- I considered turning my air conditioner on.
On 13 mile hike to prepare for 50 or 100 kilometer hike in April, some of us got giddy in the freezing temperatures and biting wind.
Buffalo Bayou park covered in ice and snow. People enjoy the slippery slopes in freezing temperature. At least there was some joy to go with frozen and burst pipes, days without power or water, and other hardships.
Below freezing temperatures turn the Lincoln Memorial's reflecting pool into a sheet of ice, on the National Mall in Washington DC.
www.popville.com/2018/01/random-reader-rant-and-or-revel-31/
Apricots trees : fighting against spring freezing temperatures during the night with hundreds of little ovens..
Change of season needs more immunity-building!
Carrots
apple
kiwi
tangerines
grapefruit
spinach
organic beet juice powder
and organic Mighty Greens from @wheatgrass_people
Enough for two
As always, #ckscooking :-)
CK is consultant for Pampered Chef®. She uses food and fellowship to make a difference with real food, health, and great kitchen tools!
Mighty Greens and our Beet Juice Powder are convenient and economical ways to add more #antioxidant #vegetable #nutrition to diets. In study after study, most Americans are very deficient in the vegetable nutrition we need to stay healthy.
Pines was the first #greensuperfood and has been growing #wheatgrass and #alfalfa in accordance with the scientific research for nearly 40 years.
#PinesWheatGrass is grown as nature intended. It is harvested after a winter of slow growth outdoors in often-freezing temperatures as a short grass. This stage of growth occurs only once a-year and lasts only a few days in the early spring.
Our alfalfa leaf is harvested at the pre-blossom stage that has been shown to produce the highest nutritional value. Pines is unique in not being a part of the pesticide-based, animal feed industry that uses an "organic sideline" to produce most of the other wheatgrass and alfalfa in the natural foods market. Since we began in 1976, Pines' farm families have been 100% organic. All Pines products are packaged in amber glass bottles with special metal caps that allow us to remove the oxygen. Without oxygen, the devitalization and loss of color that occurs with products in plastic tubs or packets does not occur. That's why Pines provides the most nutrition per dollar of any cereal grass or alfalfa producer.
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A 5am start and below-freezing temperatures were definitely worth this view of Bryce Canyon bathed in the rays of the rising sun.
We also discovered that leaving our wet tripod legs in the car overnight wasn't the best idea as the leg tubes froze together and made setting up for this shot a pain :-\
Even though the winter months bring sunrise to a more social hour it does entail some freezing temperatures and on this particular morning a 200m hike to the top of mount Snowdon after a cold night in the tent. We reached the summit in plenty of time for sunrise which gave me time to rest and take in the stunning views across north Wales.
Radiation frost (also called hoar frost or hoarfrost) refers to the white ice crystals, loosely deposited on the ground or exposed objects, that form on cold clear nights when radiation losses into the open skies cause objects to become colder than the surrounding air. A related effect is flood frost which occurs when air cooled by ground-level radiation losses travels downhill to form pockets of very cold air in depressions, valleys, and hollows. Hoar frost can form in these areas even when the air temperature a few feet above ground is well above freezing. Nonetheless the frost itself will be at or below the freezing temperature of water.
Hoar frost may have different names depending on where it forms. For example, air hoar is a deposit of hoar frost on objects above the surface, such as tree branches, plant stems, wires; surface hoar is formed by fernlike ice crystals directly deposited on snow, ice or already frozen surfaces; crevasse hoar consists in crystals that form in glacial crevasses where water vapour can accumulate under calm weather conditions; depth hoar refers to cup shaped, faceted crystals formed within dry snow, beneath the surface.
Hoar frost also occurs around man-made environments such as freezers or industrial cold storage facilities. It occurs in adjacent rooms that are not well insulated against the cold or around entry locations where humidity and moisture will enter and freeze instantly depending on the freezer temperature.
Wikipedia
Over a thousand people braved the freezing Lake Michigan water to raise money for the Special Olympics at the 13th annual Chicago Polar Plunge. They had to bring trucks in to clear out the snow and ice for the plungers to be able to enter the water.
I'm posting more than I usually do, but I figured that if these people were willing to jump in that frigid lake for charity and I got a picture of them, I owe it to them to post it!
Please take the time to view the entire set here.
The ramp leading to Lower Wacker Drive and the Riverwalk remains covered in snow pending this week's long-awaited return to above freezing temperatures.
It was sunny and "warm" today, in the 40's, so there was a lot of snow melting. Tonight we go back to freezing temperatures and all that snow that melted will turn to ice. Should make for an interesting Monday morning.
My friend Evelyn designed a dress for Honors Studio Art, made entirely out of plastic trashbags, feathers, and tulle (and brown paper bag on the inside to line it).
And then yesterday we proceeded to tape it on her body to photograph it in below freezing temperatures. Oh, yes, my neighbors think me and my friends are crazy now. <3
Colas 37116 burbles away in freezing temperatures at the west end of platform 4 working 1Q59 21.51 Cardiff Canton Sidings - Cardiff Canton Sidings via the VOG/Margam T.C./Coryton/Cardiff Bay/Bargoed/Rhymney/Ninian Park/Penarth/Tondu/Maesteg Serco test train with 37219 "Jonty Jarvis" on the rear
The freezing temperatures continue, and in the pockets that the sun doesn't reach, frost seems to be growing.
I caught this feather which is encrusted with frost just as the sun reached its patch - making the frost look like diamonds.
Probably best to zoom this photo to see it best!
ALI CAMP at Vigne Glacier .ALI CAMP is the bace camp for Gondogoro La Pass. This photo was taken on the sec day of our stay at ali camp the snow stopped for a few hours and i got the change to climb on the rocks and take this photograph in freezing temperatures
Location:Ali Camp, Vigne Glacier, Karakoram, Balti stan, Pakistan
Surprise! Orange and black on top and a silvery mosaic of orange, brown and white under the wings! And look at the wonderful dots of color on the head!
At first glance, the Gulf Fritillary butterfly is quite similar to the Monarch... the same colors and general pattern. But the caterpillar isn't! The Gulf Fritillary one has a shiny coral-legged caterpillar... a sight to behold! And quite a contrast to the yellow, black and white striped Monarch caterpillar.
The Gulf Fritillary, even though it is one of Florida's three longwing (heliconian) butterflies, is a bit different from the Julia and the Zebra. Its wings are not as long and it feeds only nectar, not on pollen. However scientifically it is still considered a longwing. True Fritillaries are also orange and have silver spots on the underside of their hindwings, but they have more rounded forewings and a more compact appearance. True fritillaries, in the genus Speyeria, only occur north and west of Florida.
This butterfly is unique in Florida. It has bright orange and black uppersides and iridescent silver spots on the underside of the wings. It is named after the orange red Fritillary flower. And Gulf because this species is common in the states around the Gulf of Mexico. The male male is slightly brighter in color than the female.
This species can't survive freezing temperatures at any stage of its life. Its habitat is the same as the Zebra longwing... woodland edges, city gardens and open brushy fields where adults eagerly visit Lantana flowers.
Gulf Fritillary or Passion Butterfly, Agraulis vanillae, Nymphalidae, Heliconian
Arch Creek East Environmental Preserve, North Miami, FL
Nice scenery from this 4x4 trail in the refuge. We saw only 2 other people over the two days we spent here, and they were employees counting mule deer. November seems to be a good time to go, as long as you don't mind camping in sub freezing temperatures.
The Russian aggression against Ukraine has provoked serious humanitarian challenges. Millions of people do not have access to basic services, including water, electricity and heating, while food supplies are running low.
In view of the freezing temperatures, this huge autotransformer has been delivered to strengthen Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. 3 meters wide, 5 meters high, 10 meters long, and weighing 200 tonnes – this powerful component will play a key role in transforming electricity from energy networks to consumers.
This transformer, worth more than €2 million, was offered by Litgrid and is part of the biggest logistics operation ever coordinated under the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
© Litgrid, 2023. All rights reserved.
Fact:
Donuts make you fat.
Smoking causes cancer.
Global warming is real. If you care about your Earth, children and the future please keep reading. I implore you to read carefully and heed the warnings and facts. If you choose not to read-what does it say about a culture that doesn't think about the future and thinks only about itself? Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is the culprit and you and I are causing this destruction. Why does something horrific have to happen in our lives before we take notice? Why do humans have to loose something precious to them before they take action or look at a situation differently?
We are loosing the battle against Global Warming daily-we are loosing our Earth daily!
There is a 10 year window starting right now in which we can change this devastation. Global warming is simply this: The Earths atmosphere which protects us from essentially melting is about as thick as a coat of varnish on a coffee table. This "varnish" is melting because of CO2. The Co2 makes the atmospheres blanket thicker and in turn traps infra-red which is global warming. It is shifting the Earths atmosphere. That is why there was a record high of 120 degrees in South Dakota this past year and there is record freezing temperatures everywhere right now.
The 10 hottest years ever have been recorded in the past 16 years. Those years were 1990, 1991, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 and in 2005 we reached the highest ever reported year. A record 122 degrees was reported in June of 2003 in India.
If we continue to live the way we are right now, it will be catastrophic for our future generations. In 45 years the Earth could be literally half the size it is now. Contrary to Sci-Fi and movies-there is no way we as humans can survive on another planet. This is the only one we have.
Destroying our forests-purposely burning them to put up strip malls and casinos is shameful. Burning our natural resources is disgusting to me..... it causes an astronomical amount of CO2 to gather in the Earths atmosphere and in turn causes global warming and this is being done on a weekly basis. Burning oil and coal is obvious destroyers of the Earth but simply not recycling in your own home is just as detrimental.
Some further facts:
In China in the Shandong Province and the Sicuan Province there are record floods occurring right now when just next door to these areas Anhui Province, China is experiencing a record drought.This is due to global warming and not just from the actions in that area but from the actions globally. This flood/drought is occurring because rain patterns are changing-this shift is causing massive destruction and devastation in this region.
Because of droughts and no moisture in the Earth's soil-wildfires are at an all time record high. Right now, as you read this there are 5 wildfires that continue to burn in California.
Another Fact:
Lake Chad in Africa-once was reportedly the largest lake on Earth in 1987 now due to global warming is all but gone. GONE!!!! This is due to global warming and the infra-red sucking up the water from the Earth's soil.
Another Fact:
On August 29, 2005 New Orleans and other precious areas were struck by Hurricane Katrina. This storm was a reported 50% stronger than any hurricane before it due to warming temperatures in the ocean because of Global Warming. The threats and warnings of the levies failing were ignored by the government and due to this ignorance a great city and it's people suffer still. The warnings for Global Warming are being ignored and it is estimated that what happened to the millions of people in the New Orleans and surrounding areas can and will happen everywhere within the next 45 years. It is like a true life walk through the biblical prophecies a nature hike through the book of Revelations. This will all come true-believers and atheists-if we do not stop or prevent global warming. The signs and warnings are being ignored. Our children are in danger. My daughter is 5 years old and by the time she is 15, life as we know it today will be dramatically different because we are ignoring the signs and the warnings of global warming.
Another Fact:
Oceans are warmer causing record high numbers of tornado's, hurricanes and typhoons. In 2004, 1,717 tornado's occurred. In Japan alone in 2004 a record number of 10 typhoons hit. Text books have said forever that a hurricane in the South Atlantic is impossible. The text books had to be re-written in March of 2004 after a hurricane struck Brazil.
Another Fact:
The North Pole is melting. Polar bears are drowning.
The South Pole is melting. Penguins are drowning,
Alaska is melting. People are drowning. 180 villages in Alaska are living with the effects of Global Warming. Hundreds of thousands of deaths have occurred due to increased ocean levels. Villages are literally being "swallowed" by the ocean. The estimated cost to move homes in each village is expensive however the United States government is choosing to send money to a war torn country and continue this devastating war that has and continues to take the lives of thousands of brave men and women-fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, but will not help these victims. Not to mention the victims of Katrina. I actually saw a report on the news yesterday about a family that received a FEMA check for $200. What in the hell is that suppose to help?
Another Fact:
Scientists researching an "ice shelf" in the Antarctic concluded that it would last another 100 years. Shortly after this conclusion-the land was GONE!!!! Now, here is the astronomical fact. It was gone within 35 days of the scientists conclusion!
Another Fact:
Greenland is melting. Between the years of 1993-2006, Greenland has melted 32%. Due to the devastation everywhere the following statistics have been reported:
Florida
California
Shanghai
Bangkok
Calcutta
Manhattan
All gone within 10-20 years due to Global Warming. If THAT isn't enough to hit home in your heart-Within 10 years the World Trade Center Memorial in Manhattan will be gone-covered with water due to global warming within the next 10 years.
Chinese say that danger and opportunity = fear. Be afraid. But take this opportunity to do something about it. The United States is responsible for 30.3% of the global warming crisis. The US is the largest contributor to the problem but as you've hopefully read it is a global issue a global problem and a global fault.
In case you all haven't figured it out-I watched the movie "An Inconvenient Truth" by former Vice President and should be president of the United States Al Gore. Mr. Gore is donating 100% of the profits from his book and the movie to the education about Global Warming and for research. Though I doubt Mr. Gore will ever in a million centuries see this I want to thank him personally for his efforts and for all that he does. Thank you Mr. Gore.
Here are 5 simple things you can do today to help prevent global warming:
1. Green Lights. They are the curly Q light bulbs. These are energy saving and cost under $4 a piece. If you change just 5 light bulbs in your home to these Green Lights it would be the equivalent of taking 1,000,000 (one million) cars off the highway for a full year!!!! That is the same amount of CO2 produced in your home as on the road. WOW!!!! So at $4 a piece for 5 bulbs it would cost $20. (We do this and the bulbs last a long time-way longer than ordinary bulbs!)
2. Solar Lights. For outdoors and there are even some indoors. These cost around $20 a piece for the pole and all. I must admit we don't have solar lights outdoors but we do use the outdoor "Green Lights" outside.
3. Programmable Thermostat. Program the temperature in your home-never have to worry about it. When people come to visit they complain it is cold in our house. I agree-it's a little cooler than a lot but right now with the wind chill factor it is below zero outdoors so put on a sweatshirt, a sweater or grab a blanky-have some hot tea or coffee and stop bitching because it's a hell of a lot warmer in here than out there. We also roll up old rugs or towels and block the cracks under doors. We have a programmable thermostat for so many reasons. In the summer, we don't run the AC unless it is breathtakingly hot out. We jump in the pool, play in the hose or eat Popsicles. The two main reasons are that it is convenient and secondly the difference of 2 degrees in your home (cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer) can reduce 9% of the CO2 your home generates in a year. The programmable thermostats range from $50 - $100.
4. Filters. Change air filters twice a year in your heating and cooling systems. This will decrease the amount of CO2 produced in your home by 2% with each change. The cost of the filter is around $11. To further "live green" consider buying filters from recycled materials-they cost the same as the others and are better for the environment.
5. Hot water heater blanket. Covering your hot water heater can decrease the amount of CO2 that your home produces by %. The cost of the blanket is around $18
*****That's a total cost of $130 - $180 for this change to save over 70% of the CO2 your house generates daily... it saves you money in the long run on electric bills too. Annually it will cost you about $62 for replacement light bulbs and filters. That's about $5.10 a month to do so much!!!!!!
Other things you can do include buying appliances with the Energy * (star) label. These products decrease the amount of CO2 used in your home by 3% with each use.
On a daily basis each person produces 94 pounds of CO2. This occurs with daily activities. Brushing our teeth, showering, using a microwave oven, making coffee and doing the laundry are just a few examples. Turn off the water while you are brushing your teeth. Take a bath instead of a shower..... it saves gallons of water. Limit use of the microwave if possible. Use instant coffee. Use cold water when doing the laundry and look for the energy saving labels on laundry detergents like Tide.
Become "Carbon Neutral". Do the things I suggested above, have house plants and plant a tree. Trees absorb CO2 and release oxygen (O2) back into the air. American Forest.org is a great place to buy trees and they will plant it for you in most cities. It takes four trees to off-set the amount of CO2 generated per person in a month. But, instead, corporations and governments are choosing to ignore this and purposely burn forests for commercial use. That just pisses me off!
RECYCLE!!!! Almost everything can be recycled!!! Many places will pay you to recycle. It's a win win situation. Buy items from recycled materials such as greeting cards, wrapping paper and even toilet paper. A fabulous brand called Seventh Generation is available with so many household items like TP, tissues, dish soap, baby wipes/diapers, and paper towels. They cost a few cents more but it is so worth it. My 13 year old son is SO Earth conscious and my eyes swell up with tears because I am so proud of him for that fact, he makes me buy recyclable, biodegradable Earth friendly tampons! How many of you can say that? Also, when decorating for a holiday that requires lights-LED lights are 90% more efficient!!!!
OKAY that's my stance for the day. I thank you if you hung in there and read what I had to say and I applaud you and thank you again from the bottom of my heart if you do even 1 or all of the things I recommended. Please remember "de"Nile isn't just a river in Egypt-it's what we are all doing if we think that Global Warming isn't real. Please save the Earth for yourself and our future generations. We cannot allow future generations to look back and ask why we ignored the scientific facts and warning-do you want to have to look into the eyes of your child one day and have to answer that question? I don't. Please act today.
Take freezing temperatures, mix in some fog, add a nice helping of pollution, and top it off with an inversion layer, and voila! You have the current air quality in the Portland area, resulting in interesting shots such as these.
The photo displays the snowy remains of Winter Storm Janus along with the impact of several days of sub-freezing temperatures on Accotink Bay, Fairfax County, Virginia (USA).
While the heavy snowfall paralyzes half of Germany, I take this opportunity to drive my camera in these freezing temperatures to the limit.
Guemes Channel. Dakota Creek Industries.
View full size: www.flickr.com/photos/-jon/16185292391/sizes/o/
"At the heart of this program is a unique, low-impact sustainable boat that will be among the most environmentally friendly and technologically advanced fishing vessels in the world. This innovative “green” boat is being specifically developed for the Alaska cod hook-and-line fishery. "
bluenorth.com/home/#/fishing/fishing-vessels
"This longliner is specifically developed for the Alaskan cod fishery and is designed by Skipsteknisk AS in Norway. This new ST 155L design has a moon pool in the center line for one fish to be caught at a time through the internal haul station, which is a first in the United States. The vessel will efficiently utilize proteins onboard- the fish wastage that is commonly ground up and discharged overboard. The internal haul station allows for the release of non-target species, as well as the crew to accomplish their work inside the boat without being exposed to rough seas or freezing temperatures and with no more risk of falling overboard during hauling."
dakotacreek.com/project/fv-blue-north-freezer-longliner-v...
This bubbly, fun loving model endured the freezing temperatures for this outdoors fashion shoot!! The results were gorgeous!
The bamboos (Bambusoideae) are a subfamily of flowering perennial evergreen plants in the grass family Poaceae.
Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. In bamboos, the internodal regions of the stem are hollow and the vascular bundles in the cross section are scattered throughout the stem instead of in a cylindrical arrangement. The dicotyledonous woody xylem is also absent. The absence of secondary growth wood causes the stems of monocots, including the palms and large bamboos, to be columnar rather than tapering.
Bamboos are some of the fastest-growing plants in the world, due to a unique rhizome-dependent system. Certain species of bamboo can grow 88.9 Centimeters within a 24-hour period, at a rate of 3 cm/h (a growth of approximately 1 millimeter every 2 minutes). Bamboos are of notable economic and cultural significance in South Asia, Southeast Asia and East Asia, being used for building materials, as a food source, and as a versatile raw product. Bamboo has a higher compressive strength than wood, brick or concrete and a tensile strength that rivals steel.
The word bamboo comes from the Kannada term bambu, which was introduced to English through Malay.
SYSTEMATICS AND TAXONOMY
The bamboos have long been considered the most primitive grasses, mostly because of the presence of bracteate, indeterminate inflorescences, "pseudospikelets", and flowers with three lodicules, six stamens, and three stigmas. Following more recent molecular phylogenetic research, many tribes and genera of grasses formerly included in Bambusoideae are now classified in other subfamilies, e.g. the Anomochlooideae, the Puelioideae, and the Ehrhartoideae. The subfamily in its current sense belongs to the BOP clade of grasses, where it is sister to the Pooideae (bluegrasses and relatives).
The bamboos contains three clades classified as tribes, and these strongly correspond with geographic divisions, representing the New World herbaceous species (Olyreae), tropical woody bamboos (Bambuseae) and temperate woody bamboos (Arundinarieae). The woody bamboos do not form a monophyletic group; instead, the tropical woody and herbaceous bamboos are sister to the temperate woody bamboos. Altogether, there are more than 1,400 species in 115 genera.
Tribe Olyreae (herbaceous bamboos)
Tribe Bambuseae (tropical woody bamboos)
Tribe Arundinarieae (temperate woody bamboos)
DISTRIBUTION
Bamboo species are found in diverse climates, from cold mountains to hot tropical regions. They occur across East Asia, from 50°N latitude in Sakhalin through to Northern Australia, and west to India and the Himalayas. They also occur in sub-Saharan Africa, and in the Americas from the mid-Atlantic states south to Argentina and Chile, reaching their southernmost point at 47°S latitude. Continental Europe is not known to have any native species of bamboo.
Recently, some attempts have been made to grow bamboo on a commercial basis in the Great Lakes region of east-central Africa, especially in Rwanda. In the United States, several companies are growing, harvesting, and distributing species such as Phyllostachys nigra (Henon) and Phyllostachys edulis (Moso).
ECOLOGY
Bamboo is one of the fastest-growing plants on Earth, with reported growth rates of 250 cm in 24 hours. However, the growth rate is dependent on local soil and climatic conditions, as well as species, and a more typical growth rate for many commonly cultivated bamboos in temperate climates is in the range of 3–10 centimetre per day during the growing period. Primarily growing in regions of warmer climates during the late Cretaceous period, vast fields existed in what is now Asia. Some of the largest timber bamboo can grow over 30 m tall, and be as large as 15–20 cm in diameter. However, the size range for mature bamboo is species dependent, with the smallest bamboos reaching only several inches high at maturity. A typical height range that would cover many of the common bamboos grown in the United States is 4.6–12 metres, depending on species. Anji County of China, known as the "Town of Bamboo", provides the optimal climate and soil conditions to grow, harvest, and process some of the most valued bamboo poles available worldwide.
Unlike all trees, individual bamboo stems, or culms, emerge from the ground at their full diameter and grow to their full height in a single growing season of three to four months. During these several months, each new shoot grows vertically into a culm with no branching out until the majority of the mature height is reached. Then, the branches extend from the nodes and leafing out occurs. In the next year, the pulpy wall of each culm slowly hardens. During the third year, the culm hardens further. The shoot is now considered a fully mature culm. Over the next 2–5 years (depending on species), fungus begins to form on the outside of the culm, which eventually penetrates and overcomes the culm. Around 5–8 years later (species and climate dependent), the fungal growths cause the culm to collapse and decay. This brief life means culms are ready for harvest and suitable for use in construction within about three to seven years. Individual bamboo culms do not get any taller or larger in diameter in subsequent years than they do in their first year, and they do not replace any growth lost from pruning or natural breakage. Bamboos have a wide range of hardiness depending on species and locale. Small or young specimens of an individual species will produce small culms initially. As the clump and its rhizome system mature, taller and larger culms will be produced each year until the plant approaches its particular species limits of height and diameter.
Many tropical bamboo species will die at or near freezing temperatures, while some of the hardier or so-called temperate bamboos can survive temperatures as low as −29 °C. Some of the hardiest bamboo species can be grown in places as cold as USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5–6, although they typically will defoliate and may even lose all above-ground growth, yet the rhizomes will survive and send up shoots again the next spring. In milder climates, such as USDA Zone 8 and above, some hardy bamboo may remain fully leafed out year-round.
MASS FLOWERING
Most bamboo species flower infrequently. In fact, many bamboos only flower at intervals as long as 65 or 120 years. These taxa exhibit mass flowering (or gregarious flowering), with all plants in a particular cohort flowering over a several-year period. Any plant derived through clonal propagation from this cohort will also flower regardless of whether it has been planted in a different location. The longest mass flowering interval known is 130 years, and it is for the species Phyllostachys bambusoides (Sieb. & Zucc.). In this species, all plants of the same stock flower at the same time, regardless of differences in geographic locations or climatic conditions, and then the bamboo dies. The lack of environmental impact on the time of flowering indicates the presence of some sort of "alarm clock" in each cell of the plant which signals the diversion of all energy to flower production and the cessation of vegetative growth. This mechanism, as well as the evolutionary cause behind it, is still largely a mystery.
One hypothesis to explain the evolution of this semelparous mass flowering is the predator satiation hypothesis which argues that by fruiting at the same time, a population increases the survival rate of their seeds by flooding the area with fruit, so, even if predators eat their fill, seeds will still be left over. By having a flowering cycle longer than the lifespan of the rodent predators, bamboos can regulate animal populations by causing starvation during the period between flowering events. Thus the death of the adult clone is due to resource exhaustion, as it would be more effective for parent plants to devote all resources to creating a large seed crop than to hold back energy for their own regeneration.
Another, the fire cycle hypothesis, argues that periodic flowering followed by death of the adult plants has evolved as a mechanism to create disturbance in the habitat, thus providing the seedlings with a gap in which to grow. This argues that the dead culms create a large fuel load, and also a large target for lightning strikes, increasing the likelihood of wildfire. Because bamboos can be aggressive as early successional plants, the seedlings would be able to outstrip other plants and take over the space left by their parents.
However, both have been disputed for different reasons. The predator satiation hypothesis does not explain why the flowering cycle is 10 times longer than the lifespan of the local rodents, something not predicted. The bamboo fire cycle hypothesis is considered by a few scientists to be unreasonable; they argue[20] that fires only result from humans and there is no natural fire in India. This notion is considered wrong based on distribution of lightning strike data during the dry season throughout India. However, another argument against this is the lack of precedent for any living organism to harness something as unpredictable as lightning strikes to increase its chance of survival as part of natural evolutionary progress.
More recently, a mathematical explanation for the extreme length of the flowering cycles has been offered, involving both the stabilizing selection implied by the predator satiation hypothesis and others, and the fact that plants that flower at longer intervals tend to release more seeds. The hypothesis claims that bamboo flowering intervals grew by integer multiplication. A mutant bamboo plant flowering at a non-integer multiple of its population's flowering interval would release its seeds alone, and would not enjoy the benefits of collective flowering (such as protection from predators). On the other hand, a mutant bamboo plant flowering at an integer multiple of its population's flowering interval would release its seeds only during collective flowering events, and would release more seeds than the average plant in the population. It could therefore take over the population, establishing a flowering interval that is an integer multiple of the previous flowering interval. The hypothesis predicts that observed bamboo flowering intervals should factorize into small prime numbers.
The mass fruiting also has direct economic and ecological consequences, however. The huge increase in available fruit in the forests often causes a boom in rodent populations, leading to increases in disease and famine in nearby human populations. For example, devastating consequences occur when the Melocanna bambusoides population flowers and fruits once every 30–35 years around the Bay of Bengal. The death of the bamboo plants following their fruiting means the local people lose their building material, and the large increase in bamboo fruit leads to a rapid increase in rodent populations. As the number of rodents increases, they consume all available food, including grain fields and stored food, sometimes leading to famine. These rats can also carry dangerous diseases, such as typhus, typhoid, and bubonic plague, which can reach epidemic proportions as the rodents increase in number. The relationship between rat populations and bamboo flowering was examined in a 2009 Nova documentary "Rat Attack".
In any case, flowering produces masses of seeds, typically suspended from the ends of the branches. These seeds will give rise to a new generation of plants that may be identical in appearance to those that preceded the flowering, or they may produce new cultivars with different characteristics, such as the presence or absence of striping or other changes in coloration of the culms.
Several bamboo species are never known to set seed even when sporadically flowering has been reported. Bambusa vulgaris, Bambusa balcooa and Dendrocalamus stocksii are common examples of such bamboo.
AS ANIMAL DIET
Soft bamboo shoots, stems, and leaves are the major food source of the giant panda of China, the red panda of Nepal and the bamboo lemurs of Madagascar. Rats will eat the fruits as described above. Mountain gorillas of Africa also feed on bamboo, and have been documented consuming bamboo sap which was fermented and alcoholic; chimpanzees and elephants of the region also eat the stalks.
The larvae of the bamboo borer (the moth Omphisa fuscidentalis) of Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Yunnan Province, China, feeds off the pulp of live bamboo. In turn, these caterpillars are considered a local delicacy.
CULTIVATION
COMMERCIAL TIMBER
Timber is harvested from both cultivated and wild stands, and some of the larger bamboos, particularly species in the genus Phyllostachys, are known as "timber bamboos".
HARVESTING
Bamboo used for construction purposes must be harvested when the culms reach their greatest strength and when sugar levels in the sap are at their lowest, as high sugar content increases the ease and rate of pest infestation.
Harvesting of bamboo is typically undertaken according to the following cycles:
1) Life cycle of the culm: As each individual culm goes through a 5– to 7-year life cycle, culms are ideally allowed to reach this level of maturity prior to full capacity harvesting. The clearing out or thinning of culms, particularly older decaying culms, helps to ensure adequate light and resources for new growth. Well-maintained clumps may have a productivity three to four times that of an unharvested wild clump. Consistent with the life cycle described above, bamboo is harvested from two to three years through to five to seven years, depending on the species.
2) Annual cycle: As all growth of new bamboo occurs during the wet season, disturbing the clump during this phase will potentially damage the upcoming crop. Also during this high rainfall period, sap levels are at their highest, and then diminish towards the dry season. Picking immediately prior to the wet/growth season may also damage new shoots. Hence, harvesting is best a few months prior to the start of the wet season.
3) Daily cycle: During the height of the day, photosynthesis is at its peak, producing the highest levels of sugar in sap, making this the least ideal time of day to harvest. Many traditional practitioners believe the best time to harvest is at dawn or dusk on a waning moon.
LEACHING
Leaching is the removal of sap after harvest. In many areas of the world, the sap levels in harvested bamboo are reduced either through leaching or postharvest photosynthesis.
EXEMPLES OF THIS PRACTICE INCLUDE:
Cut bamboo is raised clear of the ground and leaned against the rest of the clump for one to two weeks until leaves turn yellow to allow full consumption of sugars by the plant.
A similar method is undertaken, but with the base of the culm standing in fresh water, either in a large drum or stream to leach out sap.
Cut culms are immersed in a running stream and weighted down for three to four weeks.
Water is pumped through the freshly cut culms, forcing out the sap (this method is often used in conjunction with the injection of some form of treatment).
In the process of water leaching, the bamboo is dried slowly and evenly in the shade to avoid cracking in the outer skin of the bamboo, thereby reducing opportunities for pest infestation.
Durability of bamboo in construction is directly related to how well it is handled from the moment of planting through harvesting, transportation, storage, design, construction and maintenance. Bamboo harvested at the correct time of year and then exposed to ground contact or rain, will break down just as quickly as incorrectly harvested material.
ORNAMENTAL BAMBOOS
The two general patterns for the growth of bamboo are "clumping" (sympodial) and "running" (monopodial). Clumping bamboo species tend to spread slowly, as the growth pattern of the rhizomes is to simply expand the root mass gradually, similar to ornamental grasses. "Running" bamboos, on the other hand, need to be controlled during cultivation because of their potential for aggressive behavior. They spread mainly through their roots and/or rhizomes, which can spread widely underground and send up new culms to break through the surface. Running bamboo species are highly variable in their tendency to spread; this is related to both the species and the soil and climate conditions. Some can send out runners of several metres a year, while others can stay in the same general area for long periods. If neglected, over time they can cause problems by moving into adjacent areas.
Bamboos seldom and unpredictably flower, and the frequency of flowering varies greatly from species to species. Once flowering takes place, a plant will decline and often die entirely. Although there are always a few species of bamboo in flower at any given time, collectors desiring to grow specific bamboo typically obtain their plants as divisions of already-growing plants, rather than waiting for seeds to be produced.
Regular observations will indicate major growth directions and locations. Once the rhizomes are cut, they are typically removed; however, rhizomes take a number of months to mature, and an immature, severed rhizome will usually cease growing if left in-ground. If any bamboo shoots come up outside of the bamboo area afterwards, their presence indicates the precise location of the removed rhizome. The fibrous roots that radiate from the rhizomes do not produce more bamboo.
Bamboo growth is also controlled by surrounding the plant or grove with a physical barrier. Typically, concrete and specially rolled HDPE plastic are the materials used to create the barrier, which is placed in a 60– to 90-cm-deep ditch around the planting, and angled out at the top to direct the rhizomes to the surface. (This is only possible if the barrier is installed in a straight line.) If the containment area is small, this method can be detrimental to ornamental bamboo, as the bamboo within can become rootbound and start to display the signs of any unhealthy containerized plant. In addition, rhizomes can escape over the top, or beneath the barrier if it is not deep enough. Strong rhizomes and tools can penetrate plastic barriers, so care must be taken. In small areas, regular maintenance may be the best method for controlling the running bamboos. Barriers and edging are unnecessary for clump-forming bamboos, although these may eventually need to have portions removed if they become too large.
The ornamental plant sold in containers and marketed as "lucky bamboo" is actually an entirely unrelated plant, Dracaena sanderiana. It is a resilient member of the lily family that grows in the dark, tropical rainforests of Southeast Asia and Africa. Lucky bamboo has long been associated with the Eastern practice of feng shui and images of the plant widely available on the Web are often used to depict bamboo. On a similar note, Japanese knotweed is also sometimes mistaken for a bamboo, but it grows wild and is considered an invasive species. Phyllostachys species of bamboo are also considered invasive and illegal to sell or propagate in some areas of the US.
USES
CULINARY
Although the shoots (new culms that come out of the ground) of bamboo contain a toxin taxiphyllin (a cyanogenic glycoside) that produces cyanide in the gut, proper processing renders them edible. They are used in numerous Asian dishes and broths, and are available in supermarkets in various sliced forms, in both fresh and canned versions. The golden bamboo lemur ingests many times the quantity of the taxiphyllin-containing bamboo that would kill a human.
The bamboo shoot in its fermented state forms an important ingredient in cuisines across the Himalayas. In Assam, India, for example, it is called khorisa. In Nepal, a delicacy popular across ethnic boundaries consists of bamboo shoots fermented with turmeric and oil, and cooked with potatoes into a dish that usually accompanies rice (alu tama (आलु तामा) in Nepali).
In Indonesia, they are sliced thin and then boiled with santan (thick coconut milk) and spices to make a dish called gulai rebung. Other recipes using bamboo shoots are sayur lodeh (mixed vegetables in coconut milk) and lun pia (sometimes written lumpia: fried wrapped bamboo shoots with vegetables). The shoots of some species contain toxins that need to be leached or boiled out before they can be eaten safely.
Pickled bamboo, used as a condiment, may also be made from the pith of the young shoots.
The sap of young stalks tapped during the rainy season may be fermented to make ulanzi (a sweet wine) or simply made into a soft drink. Bamboo leaves are also used as wrappers for steamed dumplings which usually contains glutinous rice and other ingredients.
Pickled bamboo shoots (Nepali:तामा tama) are cooked with black-eyed beans as a delicacy food in Nepal. Many Nepalese restaurant around the world serve this dish as aloo bodi tama. Fresh bamboo shoots are sliced and pickled with mustard seeds and turmeric and kept in glass jar in direct sunlight for the best taste. It is used alongside many dried beans in cooking during winter months. Baby shoots (Nepali: tusa) of a very different variety of bamboo (Nepali: निगालो Nigalo) native to Nepal is cooked as a curry in Hilly regions.
In Sambalpur, India, the tender shoots are grated into juliennes and fermented to prepare kardi. The name is derived from the Sanskrit word for bamboo shoot, karira. This fermented bamboo shoot is used in various culinary preparations, notably amil, a sour vegetable soup. It is also made into pancakes using rice flour as a binding agent. The shoots that have turned a little fibrous are fermented, dried, and ground to sand-sized particles to prepare a garnish known as hendua. It is also cooked with tender pumpkin leaves to make sag green leaves.
In Konkani cuisine, the tender shoots (kirlu) are grated and cooked with crushed jackfruit seeds to prepare 'kirla sukke'.
The empty hollow in the stalks of larger bamboo is often used to cook food in many Asian cultures. Soups are boiled and rice is cooked in the hollows of fresh stalks of bamboo directly over a flame. Similarly, steamed tea is sometimes rammed into bamboo hollows to produce compressed forms of Pu-erh tea. Cooking food in bamboo is said to give the food a subtle but distinctive taste.
In addition, bamboo is frequently used for cooking utensils within many cultures, and is used in the manufacture of chopsticks. In modern times, some see bamboo tools as an ecofriendly alternative to other manufactured utensils.
MEDICINE
Bamboo is used in Chinese medicine for treating infections and healing. In northern Indian state of Assam, the fermented bamboo paste known as khorisa is known locally as a folk remedy for the treatment of impotence, infertility, and menstrual pains.
CONSTRUCTION
Bamboo, like true wood, is a natural composite material with a high strength-to-weight ratio useful for structures.
In its natural form, bamboo as a construction material is traditionally associated with the cultures of South Asia, East Asia and the South Pacific, to some extent in Central and South America, and by extension in the aesthetic of Tiki culture. In China and India, bamboo was used to hold up simple suspension bridges, either by making cables of split bamboo or twisting whole culms of sufficiently pliable bamboo together. One such bridge in the area of Qian-Xian is referenced in writings dating back to 960 AD and may have stood since as far back as the third century BC, due largely to continuous maintenance.
Bamboo has also long been used as scaffolding; the practice has been banned in China for buildings over six stories, but is still in continuous use for skyscrapers in Hong Kong. In the Philippines, the nipa hut is a fairly typical example of the most basic sort of housing where bamboo is used; the walls are split and woven bamboo, and bamboo slats and poles may be used as its support. In Japanese architecture, bamboo is used primarily as a supplemental and/or decorative element in buildings such as fencing, fountains, grates and gutters, largely due to the ready abundance of quality timber.
Various structural shapes may be made by training the bamboo to assume them as it grows. Squared sections of bamboo are created by compressing the growing stalk within a square form. Arches may similarly be created by forcing the bamboo's growth into the desired form, costing much less than it would to obtain the same shape with regular wood timber. More traditional forming methods, such as the application of heat and pressure, may also be used to curve or flatten the cut stalks.
Bamboo can be cut and laminated into sheets and planks. This process involves cutting stalks into thin strips, planing them flat, and boiling and drying the strips; they are then glued, pressed and finished. Long used in China and Japan, entrepreneurs started developing and selling laminated bamboo flooring in the West during the mid-1990s; products made from bamboo laminate, including flooring, cabinetry, furniture and even decorations, are currently surging in popularity, transitioning from the boutique market to mainstream providers such as Home Depot. The bamboo goods industry (which also includes small goods, fabric, etc.) is expected to be worth $25 billion by 2012. The quality of bamboo laminate varies among manufacturers and varies according to the maturity of the plant from which it was harvested (six years being considered the optimum); the sturdiest products fulfill their claims of being up to three times harder than oak hardwood while others may be softer than standard hardwood.
Bamboo intended for use in construction should be treated to resist insects and rot. The most common solution for this purpose is a mixture of borax and boric acid. Another process involves boiling cut bamboo to remove the starches that attract insects.
Bamboo has been used as reinforcement for concrete in those areas where it is plentiful, though dispute exists over its effectiveness in the various studies done on the subject. Bamboo does have the necessary strength to fulfil this function, but untreated bamboo will swell with water absorbed from the concrete, causing it to crack. Several procedures must be followed to overcome this shortcoming.
Several institutes, businesses, and universities are researching the use of bamboo as an ecological construction material. In the United States and France, it is possible to get houses made entirely of bamboo,[citation needed] which are earthquake- and cyclone-resistant and internationally certified. In Bali, Indonesia, an international K-12 school, the Green School, is constructed entirely of bamboo, for its beauty and advantages as a sustainable resource. There are three ISO standards for bamboo as a construction material.
In parts of India, bamboo is used for drying clothes indoors, both as a rod high up near the ceiling to hang clothes on, and as a stick wielded with acquired expert skill to hoist, spread, and to take down the clothes when dry. It is also commonly used to make ladders, which apart from their normal function, are also used for carrying bodies in funerals. In Maharashtra, the bamboo groves and forests are called Veluvana, the name velu for bamboo is most likely from Sanskrit, while vana means forest.
Furthermore, bamboo is also used to create flagpoles for saffron-coloured, Hindu religious flags, which can be seen fluttering across India, especially in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, as well as in Guyana and Suriname in South America.
Bamboo was used for the structural members of the India pavilion at Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The pavilion is the world’s largest bamboo dome, about 34 m in diameter, with bamboo beams/members overlaid with a ferro-concrete slab, waterproofing, copper plate, solar PV panels, a small windmill, and live plants. A total of 30 km of bamboo was used. The dome is supported on 18-m-long steel piles and a series of steel ring beams. The bamboo was treated with borax and boric acid as a fire retardant and insecticide and bent in the required shape. The bamboo sections were joined with reinforcement bars and concrete mortar to achieve the necessary lengths.
TEXTILES
Since the fibers of bamboo are very short (less than 3 mm), they are not usually transformed into yarn by a natural process. The usual process by which textiles labeled as being made of bamboo are produced uses only rayon made from the fibers with heavy employment of chemicals. To accomplish this, the fibers are broken down with chemicals and extruded through mechanical spinnerets; the chemicals include lye, carbon disulfide and strong acids. Retailers have sold both end products as "bamboo fabric" to cash in on bamboo's current ecofriendly cachet; however, the Canadian Competition Bureau and the US Federal Trade Commission, as of mid-2009, are cracking down on the practice of labeling bamboo rayon as natural bamboo fabric. Under the guidelines of both agencies, these products must be labeled as rayon with the optional qualifier "from bamboo".
AS A WRITING SURFACE
Bamboo was in widespread use in early China as a medium for written documents. The earliest surviving examples of such documents, written in ink on string-bound bundles of bamboo strips (or "slips"), date from the fifth century BC during the Warring States period. However, references in earlier texts surviving on other media make it clear that some precursor of these Warring States period bamboo slips was in use as early as the late Shang period (from about 1250 BC).
Bamboo or wooden strips were the standard writing material during the Han dynasty, and excavated examples have been found in abundance. Subsequently, paper began to displace bamboo and wooden strips from mainstream uses, and by the fourth century AD, bamboo slips had been largely abandoned as a medium for writing in China. Several paper industries are surviving on bamboo forests. Ballarpur (Chandrapur, Maharstra) paper mills use bamboo for paper production.
Bamboo fiber has been used to make paper in China since early times. A high-quality, handmade paper is still produced in small quantities. Coarse bamboo paper is still used to make spirit money in many Chinese communities.
Bamboo pulps are mainly produced in China, Myanmar, Thailand and India, and are used in printing and writing papers. The most common bamboo species used for paper are Dendrocalamus asper and Bamboo bluemanea. It is also possible to make dissolving pulp from bamboo. The average fiber length is similar to hardwoods, but the properties of bamboo pulp are closer to softwood pulps due to it having a very broad fiber length distribution. With the help of molecular tools, it is now possible to distinguish the superior fiber-yielding species/varieties even at juvenile stages of their growth, which can help in unadulterated merchandise production.[
WEAPONS
Bamboo has often been used to construct weapons and is still incorporated in several Asian martial arts.
A bamboo staff, sometimes with one end sharpened, is used in the Tamil martial art of silambam, a word derived from a term meaning "hill bamboo".
Staves used in the Indian martial art of gatka are commonly made from bamboo, a material favoured for its light weight.
A bamboo sword called a shinai is used in the Japanese martial art of kendo.
Bamboo is used for crafting the bows, called yumi, and arrows used in the Japanese martial art kyudo.
Bamboo is sometimes used to craft the limbs of the longbow and recurve bow used in traditional archery, and to make superior weapons for bowhunting and target archery.
The first gunpowder-based weapons, such as the fire lance, were made of bamboo.
Bamboo was apparently used in East and South Asia as a means of torture.
OTHER USES
Bamboo has traditionally been used to make a wide range of everyday utensils, particularly in Japan, where archaeological excavations have uncovered bamboo baskets dating to the Late Jomon period (2000–1000 BC).
Bamboo has a long history of use in Asian furniture. Chinese bamboo furniture is a distinct style based on a millennia-long tradition.
Several manufacturers offer bamboo bicycles, surfboards, snowboards, and skateboards.
Due to its flexibility, bamboo is also used to make fishing rods. The split cane rod is especially prized for fly fishing. Bamboo has been traditionally used in Malaysia as a firecracker called a meriam buluh or bamboo cannon. Four-foot-long sections of bamboo are cut, and a mixture of water and calcium carbide are introduced. The resulting acetylene gas is ignited with a stick, producing a loud bang. Bamboo can be used in water desalination. A bamboo filter is used to remove the salt from seawater.
Food is cooked in East Timor in bamboo in fire. This is called Tukir.
Many minority groups in remote areas that have water access in Asia use bamboo that is 3–5 years old to make rafts. They use 8 to 12 poles, 6–7 metres long, laid together side by side to a width of about 1 metre. Once the poles are lined up together, they cut a hole crosswise through the poles at each end and use a small bamboo pole pushed through that hole like a screw to hold all the long bamboo poles together. Floating houses use whole bamboo stalks tied together in a big bunch to support the house floating in the water. Bamboo is also used to make eating utensils such as chop sticks, trays, and tea scoops.
The Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD) Chinese scientist and polymath Shen Kuo (1031–1095) used the evidence of underground petrified bamboo found in the dry northern climate of Yan'an, Shanbei region, Shaanxi province to support his geological theory of gradual climate change.
SYMBOLISM AND CULTURE
Bamboo's long life makes it a Chinese symbol of uprightness, while in India it is a symbol of friendship. The rarity of its blossoming has led to the flowers' being regarded as a sign of impending famine. This may be due to rats feeding upon the profusion of flowers, then multiplying and destroying a large part of the local food supply. The most recent flowering began in May 2006 (see Mautam). Bamboo is said to bloom in this manner only about every 50 years (see 28–60 year examples in FAO: 'gregarious' species table).
In Chinese culture, the bamboo, plum blossom, orchid, and chrysanthemum (often known as méi lán zhú jú 梅兰竹菊) are collectively referred to as the Four Gentlemen. These four plants also represent the four seasons and, in Confucian ideology, four aspects of the junzi ("prince" or "noble one"). The pine (sōng 松), the bamboo (zhú 竹), and the plum blossom (méi 梅) are also admired for their perseverance under harsh conditions, and are together known as the "Three Friends of Winter" (岁寒三友 suìhán sānyǒu) in Chinese culture. The "Three Friends of Winter" is traditionally used as a system of ranking in Japan, for example in sushi sets or accommodations at a traditional ryokan. Pine (matsu 松) is of the first rank, bamboo (také 竹) is of second rank, and plum (ume 梅) is of the third.
The Bozo ethnic group of West Africa take their name from the Bambara phrase bo-so, which means "bamboo house". Bamboo is also the national plant of St. Lucia.
BAMBOO, NOBLE AND USEFUL
Bamboo, one of the "Four Gentlemen" (bamboo, orchid, plum blossom and chrysanthemum), plays such an important role in traditional Chinese culture that it is even regarded as a behavior model of the gentleman. As bamboo has features such as uprightness, tenacity, and hollow heart, people endow bamboo with integrity, elegance, and plainness, though it is not physically strong. Countless poems praising bamboo written by ancient Chinese poets are actually metaphorically about people who exhibited these characteristics. According to laws, an ancient poet, Bai Juyi (772–846), thought that to be a gentleman, a man does not need to be physically strong, but he must be mentally strong, upright, and perseverant. Just as a bamboo is hollow-hearted, he should open his heart to accept anything of benefit and never have arrogance or prejudice. Bamboo is not only a symbol of a gentleman, but also plays an important role in Buddhism, which was introduced into China in the first century. As canons of Buddhism forbids cruelty to animals, flesh and egg were not allowed in the diet. The tender bamboo shoot (sǔn筍 in Chinese) thus became a nutritious alternative. Preparation methods developed over thousands of years have come to incorporated into Asian cuisines, especially for monks. A Buddhist monk, Zan Ning, wrote a manual of the bamboo shoot called "Sǔn Pǔ筍譜" offering descriptions and recipes for many kinds of bamboo shoots. Bamboo shoot has always been a traditional dish on the Chinese dinner table, especially in southern China. In ancient times, those who could afford a big house with a yard would plant bamboo in their garden.
In Japan, a bamboo forest sometimes surrounds a Shinto shrine as part of a sacred barrier against evil. Many Buddhist temples also have bamboo groves.
Bamboo plays an important part of the culture of Vietnam. Bamboo symbolizes the spirit of Vovinam (a Vietnamese martial arts): cương nhu phối triển (coordination between hard and soft (martial arts)). Bamboo also symbolizes the Vietnamese hometown and Vietnamese soul: the gentlemanlike, straightforwardness, hard working, optimism, unity, and adaptability. A Vietnamese proverb says, "When the bamboo is old, the bamboo sprouts appear", the meaning being Vietnam will never be annihilated; if the previous generation dies, the children take their place. Therefore, the Vietnam nation and Vietnamese value will be maintained and developed eternally. Traditional Vietnamese villages are surrounded by thick bamboo hedges (lũy tre).
IN MYTHOLOGY
Several Asian cultures, including that of the Andaman Islands, believe humanity emerged from a bamboo stem.
In Philippine mythology, one of the more famous creation accounts tells of the first man, Malakás ("Strong"), and the first woman, Maganda ("Beautiful"), each emerged from one half of a split bamboo stem on an island formed after the battle between Sky and Ocean. In Malaysia, a similar story includes a man who dreams of a beautiful woman while sleeping under a bamboo plant; he wakes up and breaks the bamboo stem, discovering the woman inside. The Japanese folktale "Tale of the Bamboo Cutter" (Taketori Monogatari) tells of a princess from the Moon emerging from a shining bamboo section. Hawaiian bamboo ('ohe) is a kinolau or body form of the Polynesian creator god Kāne.
A bamboo cane is also the weapon of Vietnamese legendary hero, Saint Giong, who had grown up immediately and magically since the age of three because of his wish to liberate his land from Ân invaders. An ancient Vietnamese legend (The Hundred-knot Bamboo Tree) tells of a poor, young farmer who fell in love with his landlord's beautiful daughter. The farmer asked the landlord for his daughter's hand in marriage, but the proud landlord would not allow her to be bound in marriage to a poor farmer. The landlord decided to foil the marriage with an impossible deal; the farmer must bring him a "bamboo tree of 100 nodes". But Gautama Buddha (Bụt) appeared to the farmer and told him that such a tree could be made from 100 nodes from several different trees. Bụt gave to him four magic words to attach the many nodes of bamboo: Khắc nhập, khắc xuất, which means "joined together immediately, fell apart immediately". The triumphant farmer returned to the landlord and demanded his daughter. Curious to see such a long bamboo, the landlord was magically joined to the bamboo when he touched it, as the young farmer said the first two magic words. The story ends with the happy marriage of the farmer and the landlord's daughter after the landlord agreed to the marriage and asked to be separated from the bamboo.
In a Chinese legend, the Emperor Yao gave two of his daughters to the future Emperor Shun as a test for his potential to rule. Shun passed the test of being able to run his household with the two emperor's daughters as wives, and thus Yao made Shun his successor, bypassing his unworthy son. Later, Shun drowned in the Xiang River. The tears his two bereaved wives let fall upon the bamboos growing there explains the origin of spotted bamboo. The two women later became goddesses.
WIKIPEDIA
Must have been only 10F this morning. The "warmest" it got today was 16. Ouzo says it helps if you run at full speed with your tongue flapping from one cheek to the other.
He forgot what happens to slobber in freezing temperatures... LOL
Like to see the pictures as LARGE as your screen? Just click on this Slideshow : www.flickr.com/photos/reurinkjan/sets/72157624932250006/s...
Tibet is a huge area encompassing nearly 1/4 of the total land area of China. Tibet has varying elevations and geography. The Changtang (northern Plateau) is one of the coldest, highest (over 4400m) and most barren areas of Tibet. Winter here is the harshest in Tibet with temperatures often getting down to -30C (-22F) or colder. Freezing temperatures occur even in the summer there.
Amdo (northeast Tibet) has huge rolling grasslands giving way to high mountain ranges and is home to many nomads. While Amdo is not as high as Changtang, winter is still long and cold. With an average elevation of over 3400m and sitting in the most northern region of Tibet, winter can come early. Freezing temperatures are common by mid-Septemeber. Amdo also gets more snow than most regions of Tibet. If you have ever seen a picture of Tibetan nomads in snow, chances are it was taken in Amdo. Winter temperatures can easily get to -20C (-4F) and the high areas of Golok Tibet Autonomous Prefecture can get to -30C. Summers are short, but pleasant in Amdo with temperatures getting up to 24C (75F) by mid-July (nights are still cold though).
Kham (east Tibet) has varying climates. Most of Kham sits lower than the rest of Tibet. Places like Chamdo, Bayi, Kangding, Zhongdian and Dege are all under 3300m. While winter in these places can still be cold, it is not nearly as cold as northern Tibet. In the summer these places usually receive a lot of rain. Summer temperatures can be warm or even hot at times. Night time winter temperatures are usually between -4 and 2C (25-35F) with highs between 6 and 10C (43-50F).
Northwest Kham (Yushu Prefecture, Nagchu Prefecture and NW Ganzi Prefecture) sit at an average elevation of over 4000m. Winter here is much colder than the rest of Kham. Some of the heaviest snow I have seen has been through northwest Kham...in July! Winter temperatures average between -15 and -25C (5 to -13F) at night and -6 to 2C (21 to 35F) in the day. Summers are usually nice (except for those occasional snow storms!) with temperatures between 16 and 22C (60 to 72F).
Central Tibet (Lhasa-Shigatse area) has the mildest winters in Tibet. Night time temperatures in winter average between -4 and 2C (25-35F) with day time highs between 8 and 14C (47-57F). Summer temperatures range between 20 and 25C (68-77F) in the day and 10 to 14C (50-57F) at night. Central Tibet can see a lot of rain in the summer, but very little snow in the winter.
kekexili.typepad.com/life_on_the_tibetan_plate/2007/01/ti...
When the January snow melted in our midwinter warm spell, I saw this pansy had survived freezing temperatures and deep snow.
A strong cold front moved through around 8AM. Within 30 minutes, visibility and sky cover completely reversed. My action cam missed out capturing zero visibility in freezing fog by about 5 minutes as the battery was depleted in the sub-freezing temperatures.
Taken with YI 4K action cam @ 1 frame every 2 seconds.
Picture of the Day
By order of her mistress, the maid has to live in her small, unheated attic room! In both summer and winter. In the hot summer, the attic can heat up to 35 degrees. In the cold winter, it is seldom barely 5 degrees in the attic. Due to the freezing temperatures, the maid in the attic and in bed carries almost all of her winter clothes and covers herself with several heavy woolen and fur blankets. In the summer she also has to wear warm winter clothes in her attic room and sweat really badly and wetly in the high temperatures!