Neotropical woody bamboo for sustainable biobased products and bioenergy: a review

Abstract

Neotropical woody bamboos can be growing in a heterogeneous and diversifying forest, including mountain to lowland. Its a resource widely available that remains underutilised use. Brazil has about 165 species that can be found in its various biomes, but the presence of woody bamboo extends from Mexico to Argentina. Woody bamboo offers an opportunity to the diversification of biomass and develop new supply chains such as biobased products, advanced biofuels, and efficient biorefineries. The tropical Americas have great potential to develop productive systems of bioenergy and industrial materials through biomass conversion techniques from high-productivity woody bamboos obtained through agroforestry and/or in degraded areas under recovery. A review of the current status of neotropical bamboo value chains, and the potential of some native and exotic species is included, considering the implementation of environmental protection and restoration initiatives and biodiversity conservation. Conversion technologies are discussed based on physicochemical properties of primary and residual biomass from bamboo species. The knowledge about neotropical woody bamboo is discussed, highlighting the advantages, limitations and gaps, besides the technological challenges, to consolidate a point of view that can represent the potential of these native species of bamboo as bio-based products and bioenergy feedstock.

Keywords

• Non-timber forest productive chain
• bambuseae
• biorefinery
• sustainable biobased-economy