Abstract: From the middle of January to early February in 2008,the southern China suffered from the most destructive snow and ice disaster since 1954.The damage status of bamboos including 75 species or varieties,forms and cultivars in Changsha,was investigated immediately after the snow and ice disaster.The growth status of the bamboos was also surveyed in April of the year when the temperature increased.Based on the freezing damage grades of the bamboos and three types of bamboo rhizoms,the damage status was statistically analyzed respectively in the different bamboo types.The results showed that 2,10,24 and 34 species(or varieties,forms and cultivars)were found to have been damaged at grade I,II,III and IV,respectively.However,Pseudosasa amabilis,Phyllostachys sulphurea var.viridis,Phyllostachys iridescens,Phyllostachys bambusoides f.lacrima-deae and Sasa argenteastriatus were not damaged by the frozen disaster.All species with frozen injury of grade I and 70% species with frozen injury of grade II belonged to the sympodial rhizome type,and 80% species without frozen injury belonged to the monopodial rhizome type.Among the species of sympodial rhizome type species suffered injury grade I,II and III respectively accounted for 10.5%,36.8% and 47.4% of total species.Grade I of frozen injury could not be found in amphipodial and monopodial rhizome type.In the former type most species suffered from grade IV while most species in the latter type were injured to grade III or IV.It should be noticed that the species without frozen injury a ccounted for 11.8% of monopodial rhizome type species.Of all bamboos in Changsha the species belonging to sympodial rhizome type suffered the heaviest frozen injury,while those of monopodial rhizome type had the lightest damages.

Key words: bamboo, snow and ice disasters, degree of frozen injury, cold resistance, Changsha