Bamboo is a giant grass that takes on tree-like functions in forest ecosystems. Around 75 genera and 1250 species of bamboo are known to exist throughout the world. Five hundred species in 40 genera are recorded in China, mostly in the monsoon areas of south and southwest China. Of these, 250 species in 29 generagrow naturally in the mountainous province of Yunnan, in the Chinese Himalayan region. Bamboo has a long history of being used for multiple purposes by various mountain communities in China. Among others, bamboo has served-and still serves-as construction material, fiber, food, material for agricultural tools, utensils, and music instruments, as well as ornamental plants. Yunnan as a landlocked mountain province in southwest China holds a great number of species in its natural bamboo forests. This article presents the diversity of bamboo species and of their utilization in Yunnan Province, China.

Yunnan, an inland province at a low latitude and high elevation, lying between 21°09\\\–29°15\\\N and 97°32\\\–106°12\\\E in southwestern China, has a vast territory with diversified and unique nature resources. There are more than 18 000 high plant species (51.6% of China\\\s total) and 1836 vertebrate species (54.8% of China\\\s total) living in Yunnan on a land area of 394000km2, i.e., only 4.1% of China\\\s total. Among 15000 seed plants found in Yunnan there are 151 rare and endangered plant species (42.6% of China\\\s protected plants). Out of 335 China priority protected wild animals, Yunnan has 243 species, accounting for 72.5% of China\\\s total, 15% of which are species endemic to Yunnan. However, Yunnan\\\s biodiversity is faced with the menace of excessive exploitation of resources and changes in environmental conditions caused by the activities of an expanding human population. This paper discusses the background, the composition, and the structure of Yunnan\\\s biodiversity. Its biodiversity fragility and the threatened situation are also discussed. Suggestions and recommendations on the strategy and actions of Yunnan biodiversity conservation and sustainable development are proposed.