Philippine Journal of Science

148 (4): 627-636, December 2019

ISSN 0031 - 7683
Date Received: 19 Aug 2019

Aboveground Biomass Characterization of a Young Kawayan

Tinik Plantation (Bambusa blumeana J.A. & J.H. Schultes)
in Nueva Ecija, Philippines for Bioenergy Production

Rosalie C. Mendoza1*, Ramon A. Razal1, Willie P. Abasolo1,

Roberto G. Visco2, and Canesio D. Predo2

1Department of Forest Products and Paper Science, College of Forestry and

Natural Resources, University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Los Baños,
Laguna, Region IVA 4031 Philippines
2Institute of Renewable Natural Resources, College of Forestry and Natural Resources,

University of the Philippines Los Baños, College, Los Baños,

Laguna, Region IVA 4031 Philippines

This study assessed the potential of young kawayan tinik (Bambusa blumeana J.A. & J.H.
Schultes) plantation for energy production by determining changes in biomass and calorific
content over a three-year period. Yearly determination of biomass and culm growth was done for
the plantation in Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation (FMMR) in Nueva Ecija, Philippines, by
harvesting entire aboveground culms and non-culm portions of the plant. Culms were separated
from branches and leaves and culm dimensions, height and diameter, and mass were obtained for
both the culm and non-culm portions. Basal clump diameter was also measured and the number
of culms per clump was counted. The chemical properties (volatile matter, fixed carbon, and ash)
of the culm and the branches plus leaves (B+L) were likewise determined. Calculations were
done for individual culm and total aboveground dry biomass per clump. Analysis of variance
showed that both basal clump diameter and culm height were significantly affected by clump
age, while culm number per clump and culm diameter did not vary significantly from year to
year. Aboveground dry biomass increased with clump age. Chemical properties except for the
ash content of the culms were all significantly affected by clump age. Analysis of variance also
showed significant effect of clump age to the measured gross calorific values (GCVs) of culms
while the corresponding value for B+L samples did not vary with clump age.

Keywords: aboveground biomass, bioenergy, chemical properties, culm characteristics, gross calorific
value, kawayan tinik

INTRODUCTION from different forms of biomass are being explored and

The need for renewable energy resources cannot be
overemphasized in view of constantly increasing oil
prices, global warming and climate change, and depletion
of fossil fuel sources. Potential sources of bioenergy
*Corresponding Author: rmcalapis1@up.edu.ph
their properties are being determined as they can provide
valuable information on the long-term economic value and
sustainability of these alternative energy sources.
Bamboo as a renewable energy resource is of great interest,
with more than 10 million tons produced annually – almost
all of it from Asia (Panayotou and Ashton 1992). Currently,

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Vol. 148 No. 4, December 2019
many countries from around the world are producing
charcoals, briquettes, and fuel pellets from bamboo.
Kawayan tinik is one of the most important bamboo
species in the Philippines, where it is well-distributed
geographically. Razal and Palijon (2009) stated that
kawayan tinik is the most desirable bamboo species for
construction because the mature culms have high specific
gravity and lower shrinkage when dried. Rao and co-
authors (1998) also listed kawayan tinik as one of the major
priority bamboo species of national and regional importance
because it provides income to rural industries, contributes
to environmental rehabilitation, and possesses high
commercialization potential. The common uses of the culm
are for construction purposes, furniture making, parquet,
concrete reinforcements, kitchen utensils, chopsticks,
hats, toys, papermaking, basketry, farming implements,
and many other uses for transport and household. It is
also planted for the purpose of preventing soil erosion
and windbreak purposes. It also serves as living fences or
boundary marks between land properties.
Evangelista (2012) studied the use of kawayan tinik as
raw material for pellet production. He observed that the
calorific values of kawayan tinik nodes and internodes are
3972 and 4161 kcal/kg, respectively. When kawayan tinik
was made into charcoal, carbonized nodes and internodes
have higher calorific values of 6283 and 5566 kcal/
kg, respectively (Evangelista 2012). The high cellulose
content of kawayan tinik (Semana 1967, Espiloy 1996,
Razal 2013) makes this species a good raw material for
charcoal and pyroligneous liquor production. In Ilocos
Norte, Philippines, a group of researchers at Mariano
Marcos State University developed a technology that
produced kawayan charcoal briquettes with an average
density of 0.46 g/cc, ash content of 8–11% and heat value
of 4201 kcal/kg (Rosario 2011).
This study contributes to the development of alternative,
renewable materials such as kawayan tinik for energy
production. The main objective of this research is to
characterize the aboveground biomass and corresponding
bioenergy content of one-, two-, and three-year-old
plantation-grown kawayan tinik clumps. Specifically,
it aimed to determine the clump and culm variables,
aboveground dry biomass, chemical properties and GCVs of
one-, two-, and three-year-old clumps. This can help promote
kawayan tinik plantations as bioenergy sources. Kawayan
tinik, being a “multi-purpose” bamboo species, would
require a strategic plantation development and harvesting
scheme. Studies looking into the properties of kawayan tinik
as affected by clump age and information on the potential
performance as an energy crop are still lacking. In order to
more efficiently use kawayan tinik as raw material for energy
production efficiently, it is essential to carry out a detailed
characterization of its biomass.
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Mendozaet al.: Aboveground Biomass Characterization
of Young Plantation-grown K
' awayan Tinik'
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Experimental Site
Harvesting and collection of culms and non-culm biomass
were made from bamboo clumps in a bamboo plantation
established in 2013 in FMMR, Nueva Ecija, Philippines.
Different edaphic, physiographic, and climatic variables of
the site were collected to provide baseline data on the site
conditions. Soil organic matter, pH, nitrogen, phosphorus,
and potassium were analyzed. A Global Positioning
System device was used to determine the coordinates of
the sample clumps. From these coordinates, the Digital
Elevation Model with pixels measuring 30 m x 30 m was
used to generate elevation, slope, and aspect of the site.
Rainfall, temperature, and relative humidity values for the
duration of the study were obtained from the Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA) – Cabanatuan Station, which
is nearest to the bamboo plantation.
Clump and Culm Variables
Basal clump diameter, number of culms per clump, culm
height, and diameter were measured for each sample
clump. Basal clump diameter was measured by projecting
the edge of the clumps at opposite sides using a diameter
tape. Smallest and largest diameter readings were averaged
and recorded as the clump diameter. Living culms in each
sample clump were counted and recorded. To determine
the height of the culms, felled culms were measured from
base to top using a meter tape. The diameter of all the
culms in the sample clump was measured using a digital
Vernier caliper. Diameter from the base and top portions
were averaged and recorded.
Aboveground Dry Biomass
To estimate the biomass production potential of kawayan
tinik, clumps were destructively sampled. The selected
clumps were felled at ground level after measuring the
basal clump diameter. B+L samples were separated
from the culms and their fresh weights were recorded
immediately after felling using a spring weighing scale.
Representative culms and B+L samples were collected for
moisture estimation. After recording the fresh weights,
culms were dried at 103 ± 2 °C until their constant weights
were attained, while B+L samples were dried at 80 °C to
prevent the samples from burning. Estimates of dry weight
biomass were obtained from the fresh weights of culms
and B+L samples and their moisture contents.
Chemical Properties
Culm and B+L samples were milled for proximate analysis
following ASTM D-1762 (modified) to determine the
amount of volatile combustible matter, fixed carbon,
Philippine Journal of Science Mendozaet al.: Aboveground Biomass Characterization
Vol. 148 No. 4, December 2019 of Young Plantation-grown K
' awayan Tinik'

and ash content of the material. The volatile combustible
matter was determined by heating the samples inside the
furnace at 950 °C. Prior heating was done by placing the
samples in front of an open and operational furnace for 5
min. After preliminary heating, the samples were placed
inside the furnace and remained there for 6 min. The
samples were then cooled in a desiccator for one hour
and weighed again afterward. The volatile matter was
calculated by getting the mass difference of the sample
before and after the heating process. Ash content, on the
other hand, was determined by placing the samples in the
furnace at 600 °C for 6 h. The samples were cooled inside
a desiccator for 1 h and the mass difference of the samples
before and after the heating process was determined. The
fixed carbon value was calculated by subtracting the sum
of percent volatile combustible matter and the percent ash
content from 100%.
Determination of GCVs
The GCVs were obtained using a Shimadzu bomb
calorimeter following ASTM D 2015-96. Pulverized and
oven-dried culm and B+L samples weighing 5 g were
prepared for triplicate analysis.
RESULTS
Clump and Culm Variables
Table 1 shows that – on average – basal clump diameter,
the number of culms per clump, the average culm height,
and the average culm diameter increased with age from 1
to 3 yr. Statistical analysis showed that clump diameter is
significantly affected by its age, with a p-value of 0.0129.
Specifically, one-year-old and two-year-old clumps are
both significantly different from three-year-old clumps.
Lowest basal clump diameter was recorded in a one-year-
old clump with a value of 16 cm, while the highest basal
clump diameter was observed in a three-year-old clump
with a value of 71.25 cm.
The number of culms per clump appeared to be unaffected
by clump age, although it was observed that the lowest
number of culms per clump was in a one-year-old clump
(5 culms) and the highest was observed in a three-year-old
clump. Ideally, as a bamboo plantation becomes older,
more culms are produced by the clumps until such age
that growth ceases (Virtucio and Roxas 2003). In general,
culms of B. blumeana that are younger than three years old
are not utilized in the Philippines as they are still deemed
unsuitable for furniture or construction. Thus, no thinning
is performed and – for purposes of the study – no removal
of culms was done until the targeted age (1, 2, or 3 yr) of
the study clump was attained.
Culm height increased from one-year-old to three-year-
old clumps. However, highest culm height was recorded
in a two-year-old clump with a value of 6.30 m and
lowest in a one-year-old clump (1.38 m). Average culm
heights of two-year-old and two-year-old clumps are not
significantly different from each other.
Statistical analysis revealed that culm diameter values of
one-, two- and three-year-old clumps are not significantly
different from one another, although average culm
diameter was lowest in one-year-old clumps and highest
in three-year-old clumps. However, clump age is directly
proportional to the culm diameter. The lowest average

Table 1. Clump and culm variables of one-, two-, and three-year-old kawayan tinik clumps.
Parameter Clump Clump sample number Statistics
age
1 2 3 Average P-value
Basal clump 1 16.00 22.70 21.85 20.18a ± 3.65 0.0129
diameter (cm)
2 25.65 24.25 24.50 24.80a ± 0.75
3 45.025 41.25 71.25 52.51b ± 16.34
Culm number per clump 1 5 10 11 8.67ns ± 3.21 0.0973
(pc)
2 10 7 7 8.00ns ± 1.73
3 13 12 23 16ns ± 6.08
Culm height (m) 1 2.15 1.85 1.38 1.79a ± 0.39 0.0263
2 3.96 3.27 6.30 4.51b ± 1.59
3 4.80 4.03 6.08 4.97b ± 1.04
1 2.24 1.38 1.24 1.62ns ± 0.54 0.1479
Culm diameter (cm)  
2 2.15 1.97 3.04 2.39ns ± 0.57
3 2.35 2.20 2.76 2.44ns ± 0.29
Note: Means with the same letter are not significantly different from one another according to Tukey’s post-hoc test; ns – not significant

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Vol. 148 No. 4, December 2019
culm diameter recorded was from culms harvested from
one-year-old clump (1.24 cm) – from the sample clump
with the highest number of culms. Highest average culm
diameter (3.04 cm) was recorded during the second year
of collection for the 10 culms measured in the clump.
Aboveground Dry Biomass
Figure 1 shows the graphical comparison of the average
individual culm and its corresponding B+L dry biomass
computed for the three clump ages. Analysis of variance
showed that dry weights of both individual culm and its
B+L are significantly affected by clump age. A linear
relationship between these variables is also exhibited
in Figure 1 . As clump age increases, dry weight also
increases. The average dry weight of culms from one-
year-old clumps is 0.18 kg while its B+L weighs 0.21
kg. The highest individual culm (4.53 kg) and B+L (1.29
kg) dry weights were recorded for three-year-old clumps.
Figure 1. Average individual culm and corresponding B+L dry
biomass of one-, two-, and three-year-old kawayan tinik
clumps.
Figure 2 shows that total culm dry biomass increased
considerably from a value of 1.31 kg during the first year
to as high as 80.75 kg when the clumps reached three years.
B+L dry biomass multiplied by almost 20 times during the
same period – from 1.56 kg to 20.90 kg. On average, the
total aboveground dry biomass of one-year-old clumps
consists of 45.65% culms and 54.64% branches and leaves.
Total aboveground dry biomass values of two-year-old
clumps are 64.43% for culm and 35.57% for B+L. Three-
year-old clumps have a total aboveground dry biomass
consisting of 79.44% culms and 21.56% B+L.
Chemical Properties
Table 2 shows the average fixed carbon, volatile matter,
and ash content of the culms and B+L of one-, two- and
three-year-old clumps of kawayan tinik. Samples from
one-year-old clumps have the highest fixed carbon content
compared to the two other clump ages. The fixed carbon
content of culms from one-year-old clumps is 27.08% of
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Mendozaet al.: Aboveground Biomass Characterization
of Young Plantation-grown K
' awayan Tinik'
Figure 2. Average total aboveground dry biomass of one-, two-,
and three-year-old kawayan tinik clumps.
its total dry weight while for B+L, it is 26.86%. The lowest
fixed carbon content of culms was observed in two-year-old
clump samples, with a value of 17.99%. The B+L of three-
year-old clumps has the lowest fixed carbon content, with a
value of 17.13%. Statistical analysis showed that fixed carbon
content of culm samples from one- and three-year-old clumps
are significantly different from that of two-year-old clumps.
The fixed carbon contents of B+L samples from the three
clump ages are all significantly different from one another.
Meanwhile, the B+L of one-year-old clumps was also
observed to have the lowest volatile matter content
(66.31%), while the highest value was recorded for samples
from three-year-old clumps (70.30%). Statistical analysis
showed that volatile matter content of culm samples from
two- and three-year-old clumps are significantly different
from that of one-year-old clumps while for the B+L
samples, samples from one- and three-year-old clumps are
significantly different from one another.
Proximate analysis showed that the ash content of culms
and B+L samples differed, with the B+L samples having
an ash content as high as 12.57% against the highest ash
content of culm samples, which is 2.47%. Both values
were recorded from culms and B+L of three-year-old
clumps. B+L from one-year-old clumps are significantly
different from three-year-old clump samples. Ash contents
of culms are not significantly different from one another.
GCVs
Comparing the GCVs of culm and B+L at any given
clump age (Figure 3), it can be seen that culm samples
have higher means than B+L samples. Analysis of variance
showed that GCVs of culm samples from one-year-old
clumps and three-year-old clumps are significantly
different from two-year-old clumps. The highest average
GCVs were recorded both from the culms and B+L of
three-year-old clumps. The average GCV of culm samples
is 4377.33 kcal/kg, while B+L samples recorded a value
of 4031 kcal/kg.
Philippine Journal of Science Mendozaet al.: Aboveground Biomass Characterization
Vol. 148 No. 4, December 2019 of Young Plantation-grown K
' awayan Tinik'

Table 2. Proximate analysis (dry weight basis) of culms and B+L from one-, two-, and three-year-old kawayan tinik clumps.
Parameter Clump age Clump sample number Statistics
1 2 3 Average P-value
Fixed carbon (%)
Culm 1 27.63 26.07 27.53 27.08 a ± 0.87 0.0000
2 18.07 17.91 17.99 17.99 b ± 0.08
3 20.90 18.70 19.80 19.80 b ± 0.90
B+L 1 26.25 26.11 28.21 26.86 a ± 1.17 0.0001
2 20.28 21.53 22.08 21.30 b ± 0.92
3 17.40 17.70 16.30 17.13 c ± 0.74
Volatile matter (%)
Culm 1 70.28 72.93 71.23 71.48 a ± 1.34 0.0000
2 79.26 80.14 80.27 79.89 b ±0.55
3 76.20 79.20 77.80 77.73 b ± 1.23
B+L 1 64.92 67.32 66.7 66.31 a ± 1.25 0.0269
2 71.73 68.72 68.4 69.62 ab ± 1.84
3 69.40 71.30 70.20 70.30 b ± 0.95
Ash (%)
Culm 1 2.08 1.00 1.24 1.44ns ± 0.57 0.1110
2 2.67 1.95 1.74 2.12 ns ± 0.49
3 2.95 2.06 2.40 2.47 ns ± 0.37
B+L 1 7.99 9.75 9.52 9.09 a ± 0.96 0.0082
2 8.84 6.57 5.1 6.84 ab ± 1.88
3 13.20 11.00 13.50 12.57 b ± 1.37
Note: Means with the same letter are not significantly different from one another according to Tukey’s post-hoc test; ns – not significant

with dry biomass accumulation until they reach maturity

Figure 3. Average gross calorific value of culms and B+L from
one-, two- and three-year-old kawayan tinik clumps.
DISCUSSION
Clump and Culm Variables
According to Yen (2016), bamboo productivity can be
categorized into two distinct phases. The first phase is
culm height growth that happens very rapidly, and the
second phase is culm strength that increases together
and can be utilized for human use. The productivity and
properties that each clump exhibits are highly dependent
on the quality of the planting stocks used in the plantation,
site conditions, silvicultural treatments, and other external
factors. At an early stage, bamboo clumps are still adapting
to the site conditions. Growth competition among culms,
especially in very young clumps where competition is
very pronounced, and mortality of young culms can also
affect the results gathered in the study. However, data on
the quality of the planting stocks used, culm mortality rate
and other anthropogenic disturbances are not available.
Site conditions like physiography can affect the growth of
bamboo. The elevation of the FMMR site was recorded
to be within the range of 70–78 masl. Virtucio and Roxas
(2003) cited that Bambusa species like kawayan tinik
grow well in this range. Studies on the effect of elevation
on clump and culm variables of kawayan tinik were also
done by Uchimura (1978) and Colis (1996). Uchimura
(1978) observed that the measured culms form clumps
at lower elevation are taller and bigger in diameter than
those growing in higher elevation. Colis (1996) noticed

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Vol. 148 No. 4, December 2019
that elevation is inversely proportional to clump diameter,
number of culms produced, and culm diameter.
Aspect or the orientation of the slope with respect to
the sun’s position indirectly affects bamboo growth.
According to Rosario (2011), under Philippine condition,
sunlight is more intense and has longer duration on
southwest facing slopes than northeast facing slopes.
Virtucio and Roxas (2003) also stated that north-facing
slopes are more beneficial for bamboo growth than west-
facing slopes because north-facing slopes are less exposed
to intense sunlight that is detrimental to bamboo growth.
Most of the sample clumps selected in the study were
facing north. Supposedly, considering the statements
cited above, good growth can be expected from the site.
However, aspect alone does not dictate the performance
of kawayan tinik clumps. Many other factors can affect
the productivity of the plantation.
Slope influences bamboo growth by modifying the solar
radiation that bamboo clumps receive. Colis (1996)
observed that as slope increases, culm height and diameter
of kawayan tinik decreases. He further reported that
clumps growing in areas with an average slope of 7%
are more productive than those growing in steeper slope
(34%). In this study, the slope range of the plantation
turned out to be within the range of 0–30%. Two of the
sample clumps harvested during the third year were
located in an area with a slope range of 0–8%. This may
have affected the higher values of the measured clump
and culm variables of three-year-old clumps.
Climatic factors like rainfall, temperature, and relative
humidity directly affect bamboo growth. After the
plantation establishment in September 2013, the site
experienced very low rainfall starting December 2014 up
to May 2014, with zero rainfall in Jan when the propagules
were still adapting to the site. In 2014, the lowest annual
rainfall was recorded when the plantation was completing
its first-year growth. Mean temperature and relative
humidity appeared to be uniform during the conduct of the
study. According to Virtucio and Roxas (2003), moisture
is the most important factor that affects bamboo growth.
Uchimura (1978) further stated that there is no single
environment factor more limiting to bamboo growth than
rainfall. The rainfall recorded in the site appeared to be
critical during the early stage of growth of the kawayan
tinik propagules, with adverse effect on the growth of the
clumps in the succeeding years.
Silvicultural treatments like irrigation, regular fertilizer
application, and weeding were observed to be lacking in
the plantation. There was no irrigation – 200 g complete
fertilizer was applied only once in every clump during the
planting of branch cuttings, and weeding was only done
during site preparation prior to planting. Decipulo and
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Mendoza et al.: Aboveground Biomass Characterization
of Young Plantation-grown aK' aw yan iT nik'
co-authors (2009) reported that optimum culm production
in kawayan tinik required a combination of 80–160 kg N/
ha/yr and 30 kg P/ha/yr. Rosario (2011) also reported that
20–100 ppm of potassium should be present in the soil
for optimum kawayan tinik growth. Virtucio and Roxas
(2003) also reported a significant increase in the number
of culms per clump with the application of fertilizer in
unmanaged plantations. Midmore (2009) cited that the
supply of water before and during the shooting season
has been recognized as an enhancing factor to initiate and
promote shoot production. Irrigation increased the number
of shoots, with the effect being greatest if combined with
fertilizer application.
Results of the soil analysis revealed that the soil in the
site contains low organic matter, nitrogen, phosphorus,
and potassium. Only the soil pH (5.6–6.2) recorded an
acceptable range for bamboo growth. Average soil organic
matter (2.6%), nitrogen (0.11), phosphorus (5.13 ppm),
and potassium (0.15me/100g soil) are all in the low
range. Tiongco (1997) evaluated the eight-year growth
of kawayan tinik plantations in Malaybalay, Bukidnon,
Philippines – as a function of clump age and productivity
on sites classified as either highly, fairly, and marginally
productive – based on the soil chemical and physical
properties. Generally, highly productive site has a more
desirable soil physical properties and higher levels of
soil nutrients compared to the fairly and marginally
productive sites. Comparison of the soil analysis of the
FMMR site and the three productivity classes of the
kawayan tinik plantations stratified by Tiongco (1997)
in Bukidnon revealed that the FMMR site is closer to the
soil properties of the marginally productive site. However,
total comparison of the clump and culm variables gathered
in FMMR with the results gathered by Tiongco (1997) in
Bukidnon is not feasible since Bukidnon plantations were
established using culm cuttings while FMMR plantation
was established using branch cuttings. Different climatic
and physiographic conditions also complicate the total
comparison of these two studies. Other factors had
contributed to the performance of the clumps aside from
soil properties. Nonetheless, performance of the sample
clumps used in this study was definitely affected by the
poor soil condition of the site.
Aboveground Dry Biomass
Rhizomes are the underground stems of bamboo plants,
providing stability to the whole clump in the absence of
a central trunk (Virtucio and Roxas 2003). Dransfield
and Widjaja (1995) cited that new rhizomes are produced
from older rhizomes and, mostly, culms developed
from the apices of these younger rhizomes. Bamboo
clump formation follows after several closely positioned
shoots emerged from the sympodial rhizome system.
Aboveground biomass production in bamboo is therefore
Philippine Journal of Science
Vol. 148 No. 4, December 2019
highly dependent on the vigor of its rhizome system. A
more vigorous rhizome system allows the bamboo clump
to take advantage of the limited soil and water resources
compared to the other clumps.
Banik (2015) stated that branching in culms starts after
it reached its maximum height. Numerous thin branches
start sprouting from each culm bud. It is followed by leaf
development after two to four weeks. During the first
year of harvest, when the sample clumps were only one
year old, the biomass of combined branches and leaves
appeared to be higher than the culm biomass, meaning
the growth of leaves and branches is prioritized than
increasing the cellular makeup of the culms. This is
supported by the study of Thokchom and Yadava (2017),
which observed lower values of belowground biomass in
one-year-old Schizostachyum pergracile clumps compared
to older clumps. Their results indicate that at the early
stages of growth, the plant depends completely upon
the leaf area to build the carbon chains and metabolites
that allow the growth of each organ (Düking et al. 2011,
as cited by Thokchom and Yadav 2017). Other studies
supporting the trend observed in this study are those
reported by Shanmughavel and co-authors (2001) and
Panda (2011), who noticed increasing branch and leaf
biomass of one-,two2- and three-year-old B. bambos
clumps. Kozlowski and co-authors (1991) reported that
in young trees, a very high proportion of photosynthate
is used in leaf production. Opposing these results are the
studies of Banik (2000) and Banik and Islam (2005),
where they recorded that one-year-old culms have fewer
leaves than two- and three-year-old bamboo culms. Banik
(2015) further stated that, generally, one-year-old bamboo
culms have smaller leaf biomass than older ones. It should
be noted that contrasting trend might be due to the fact
that previously cited studies only reported leaf biomass,
while observed values in this experiment involved the
dry weight of branches and leaves in the sampled clumps.
For all clumps, the highest culm dry biomass value
recorded was 157.68 kg – five times higher than its
corresponding B+L biomass, which was 30.86 kg. These
were harvested from a 3-year-old clump sample. This was
also observed by Singnar and co-authors (2015) when
they studied the culm characteristics and volume-weight
relationship of Melocanna baccifera and found out that
culm green weight of three-year-old culms is higher
compared to one- and two-year-old culms.
Computing the culm dry biomass of the FMMR plantation
on a per hectare basis, with a 10 m x 10 m spacing, average
culm dry biomass of kawayan tinik plantation is 0.13 t/ha,
1.63 t/ha, and 8.07 t/ha for one-, two-, and three-year-old
clumps, respectively. The average dry biomass of B+L
of the one-year-old clumps is 0.16 t/ha, 0.90 t/ha for
two-year-old clumps, and 2.1 t/ha for the three-year-old
Mendoza et al.: Aboveground Biomass Characterization
of Young Plantation-grown aK' aw yan iT nik'
clumps. These values were relatively lower compared to
the reported dry weight of several fast-growing fuelwood
species. Pleguezuelo and co-authors (2015) reported
that several Eucalyptus plantations in the European
Union countries can have a yield ranging from 10–20
t/ha/yr. Furthermore, Acacia mangium and Leucaena
leucocephala plantations in the humid countries can have
a biomass yield of 8–40+ t/ha/yr (FAO 2001).
Chemical Properties
Yen and Lee (2011) contended that bamboo has higher
potential for fixing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Carbon is the major constituent of biomass, and its
combustion increases the heating value; therefore, high
carbon content is desirable in biofuels (Sadiku et al. 2016).
Ganesh (2003) reported lower values of fixed carbon in
various bamboo culm species compared to the results of
this study. Sadiku and co-authors (2016) also observed
much lower fixed carbon values in two- to four-year-old
B. vulgaris culms (3.96–4.69%). They also observed a
slight decrease in the fixed carbon content in two-year-old
culms, and then a slight increase in three-year-old culms.
Scurlock and co-authors (2000) also reported a decreasing
trend in the fixed carbon content of Phyllostachys species
with age, but their values were slightly lower compared
to the fixed carbon of kawayan tinik culms measured in
this study. In L. leucocephala, Rasat and co-authors (2016)
reported much lower fixed carbon values (6.51–10.31%).
No other study was found that reported on the fixed
carbon of kawayan tinik branches and leaves, hence, no
comparison was made.
Sadiku and co-authors (2016) observed higher volatile
matter content ranging from 93% to 95.30% in 2- to
4-year-old B. vulgaris culms. Ganesh (2003) also reported
slightly higher values of fixed carbon in his proximate
analysis of several bamboo culms. Rasat and co-authors
(2016) also observed volatile matter of L. leucocephala
ranging from 81.46 to 84.72%, while Scurlock and co-
authors (2000) observed lower volatile matter percentages
in comparison to the results of this study. Mitchual and
co-authors (2014) found out that the volatile matter of
several fuelwood species ranges from 75 to 83%. Volatile
matter of kawayan tinik culms measured in this study is
within the range reported by Mitchual and co-authors
(2014).
In general, biomass with lower ash content is preferred in
bioenergy production since ash deposit on heat transfer
surfaces in boilers and internal surfaces in gasifiers
accelerate corrosion of hot heat exchanging tubes and also
reduce their efficiency (Grover and Mishra 1996). Similar
to the results of this study, Sadiku and co-authors (2016)
also observed that the ash content of B. vulgaris increased
as culm age increased. However, higher amount of ash was
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Vol. 148 No. 4, December 2019
observed in B+L than in the culms of kawayan tinik. This
is mainly because large amount of silica is present in the
leaves of bamboo. Bamboo leaves have a silica content of
17–23% by weight, higher than the silica content in rice
husk (Silviana and Bayu 2018).
Kawayan tinik culm ash content reported by Semana
(1967) and Espiloy (1996) were slightly higher while
result of the study of Razal (2013) was lower compared
to the results gathered in this study. Researchers who
conducted proximate analysis of several fuelwood species
all reported lower ash content compared to the results of
this study (Yokohama and Matsumura 2008, Mitchual et
al. 2014, Rasat et al. 2016).
GCVs
The standard measure of the energy content of a fuel
is its heating value or calorific value. The GCV gives
an indication of the amount of heat and the potential
value of electricity that can be produced by the biomass
(Sadiku et al. 2016). These values are higher compared
to the GCVs of rice straws and aquatic plants listed by
Yokohama and Matsumura (2008). In comparison to some
fuelwood species, GCVs reported in this study are lower.
Yokohama and Matsumura (2008) cited that Eucalyptus,
a woody plant, has a GCV equivalent to 4466 kcal/kg.
Mainoo and Appiah (1996) also reported higher values for
some fuelwood species like L. leucocephala (4703 kcal/
kg), Gliricidia sepium (4569 kcal/kg), and Senna siamea
(4480 kcal/kg). Mitchual and co-authors (2014) reported
that the GCV of six tropical species in has a range of
4815–5307 kcal/kg.
Scurlock and co-authors (2000) observed that the GCVs
of Phyllostachys species did not significantly vary with
culm age when they acquired almost similar values. They
also noted that GCV is positively correlated with fixed
carbon, but this relationship did not surface in their study.
Similarly, this correlation was not exhibited in this study.
The highest fixed carbon percentage was recorded in one-
year-old samples but the highest GCVs were observed in
three-year-old clumps. Volatile matter, on the other hand,
is negatively correlated with GCV. This held true in the
case of the culm samples from two-year-old clumps, which
was reported to have the lowest fixed carbon yet highest
volatile matter.
Ideally, as the clumps mature, more carbon is being
assimilated and stored in its biomass, which will
positively affect its GCV. This is apparently the trend
in the B+L samples tested in this study. As reported in
the previous sections, dry biomass increased from one-
year-old to three-year-old clumps. However, in the case
of culm samples, there was a decrease in the GCV of two-
year-old clumps and then it increased again in the three-
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Mendoza et al.: Aboveground Biomass Characterization
of Young Plantation-grown aK' aw yan iT nik'
year-old clumps. Several factors might have influenced
these results, as mentioned earlier. Heterogeneous culm
samples with varying ages used in this study can be one
of the reasons for the lower GCVs obtained for two-
year-old clumps.
RECOMMENDATIONS
While the measured and computed properties of the
sample clumps appear to be lower than the properties
of several species used for bioenergy production, the
results of the study suggest that the FMMR kawayan
tinik plantation is a potential source of raw materials for
bioenergy production. Should there be continuing interest
in the assessment of bamboo plantations as bioenergy
source, the following are recommended:
1. application and full documentation of silvicultural
treatments that are likely to increase the productivity of
the clumps and improve the properties and suitability
for bioenergy production;
2. increasing the planting stock density by lowering the
planting spacing from 10 m x 10 m to a much closer
stock density subject to trial runs; and
3. utilizing one-year-old clumps for bioenergy purposes,
which appears to be a viable option since results
showed acceptable fuel property values even at such
an early age of the plantation.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to acknowledge the Commission
on Higher Education – Faculty Development Program for
the thesis grant. The same gratitude is due to the following
persons who greatly contributed to the realization of the
study: Dr. Portia Lapitan, Forester Gregorio Santos, Jr.
and MGen. Angelito De Leon. Thank you very much for
giving the authors the permission to conduct the study at
FMMR and for all the assistance accorded to the authors.
Similarly, to all the staff of ERDB-DENR, FMMR, and
DFPPS-CFNR who helped the authors during the conduct
of the study, thank you for your kind assistance.
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