ABSTRACT
There is growing knowledge about and appreciation of the importance of Non-timber Forest Products (NTFPs) to rural livelihoods in developing countries, and to a lesser extent, developed countries. However, there is also an assumption on the part of policy-makers that any harvesting of wild animal or plant products from the forests and other natural and modified ecosystems must be detrimental to the long-term viability of target populations and species. This book challenges this idea and shows that while examples of such negative impacts certainly exist, there are also many examples of sustainable harvesting systems for NTFPs.
The chapters review and present coherent and scientifically sound information and case studies on the ecologically sustainable use of NTFPs. They also outline a general interdisciplinary approach for assessing the sustainability of NTFP harvesting systems at different scales. A wide range of case studies is included from Africa, Asia and South America, using plant and animal products for food, crafts, textiles, medicines and cosmetics.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
part I|70 pages
Examining non-timber forest product systems
chapter 1|9 pages
Introduction
chapter 3|22 pages
The ecological sustainability of non-timber forest product harvest
part II|144 pages
Case studies of ecologically sustainable non-timber forest product harvest systems
chapter 5|17 pages
Harvesting of palm fruits can be ecologically sustainable
chapter 6|13 pages
Harvesting from the Tree of Life
chapter 7|13 pages
The road to sustainable harvests in wild honey collection
chapter 12|20 pages
Cork oak (Quercus suber L.)
part III|64 pages
Ecological sustainability in dynamic social contexts