Bamboo -- a major non-wood forest product -- is an ancient woody grass widely distributed in tropical, subtropical and mild temperate zones. It is an integral part of forestry, but is also widely spread outside forests, including farmlands, riverbanks, roadsides and urban areas. Bamboo is quickly changing its image from the "poor man's tree" to a high-tech, industrial raw material and substitute for wood. This study, prepared by FAO jointly with the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan, is an initiative to incorporate bamboo into the FAO Global Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) program. A total of 22 countries responded to the FAO/INBAR call for information and submitted national reports. Although data availability and quality are often weak, the main value of the study is that it has established a systematic methodology and has launched the most comprehensive assessment of global bamboo resources to date.--Publisher's description.