Community perceptions and responses on bamboo spread in native forests: a case study from Sri Lanka

Bambusa bambos (L.) Voss. expands rapidly in native forests in the dry and intermediate climatic zones in Sri Lanka, raising concerns among environmentalists in recent years. No studies have been undertaken so far to evaluate ecological and socio-economic perceptions of the local communities on this issue. In landsenses ecology, physical senses of the community play a critical role in land-use planning and sustainable management. Thus, a survey was conducted using 78 villagers live in three hamlets bordering native forests where B. bambos shown a high prevalence. The study community is a typical rural population with an agriculture-centered existence. Despite low income, their commercial dependence on forest resources was minimal. The villagers are well aware of the bamboo spread and its ecological consequences, though their overall perception on the issue was highly divided. However, their perceptions changed depending on the distance to nearby forests from their abodes. Higher the distance from where they live to bamboo-rich forests, their perception on B. bambos become positive and vice versa. The heightened fire incidences and increased presence of elephants following the bamboo spread have contributed decisively on their negative perception, suggesting the importance of physical senses in planning land-use interventions. The study concludes that any future management interventions to mitigate some of the ecological and social impacts caused by the B. Bambos spread need to consider the community’s perceptions and views as well as their active partnership to reap successful outcomes.