Bamboos are woody perennial grasses that occur in the tropical and subtropical evergreen and deciduous forest formations of Asia-Pacific. Important uses of bamboo include paper and pulp industry, fuel, food, feed, house construction and scaffolding, making several articles of everyday use, besides controlling soil erosion. One hundred and thirty wild and cultivated bamboo species are reported to occur in India. They exist under diverse ecological conditions, often as an under-storey in many forest types. In agroforestry, thorny bamboo is perhaps the most important species in Kerala.