ABSTRACT
Rattans are climbing palms exploited for their flexible stems that form the basis of a significant market for cane and cane products. The thriving international and domestic trade in rattan and rattan products has led to substantial overexploitation of the wild rattan resource. This exploitation, coupled with the loss of forest cover through logging and subsequent agricultural activities, is threatening the long-term survival of the rattan industry, particularly in SouthEast Asia (Dransfield, 1988). The detrimental impact of the decline of wild rattan resources on local rattan collectors, who harvest the majority of the traded
