What is Bamboo Flowering?

Can anyone explain bamboo flowering to me? I just need a really simple explanation!

What is Bamboo Flowering?
Bamboo is a grass. Typically, each species coordinates its time of bloom and all of that species in an area blooms at the same time. Bamboos typically do not flower often, and there may be many years in between flowering events.



This may not seem like a big deal, but after the plants bloom, they die. Thus, any animal that depends on that species is suddenly without a food source, habitat, etc. And stands of bamboo can stretch for miles, making finding a new source very difficult. Even humans can be significantly affected by bamboo flowering.