The study of non-timber forest products

Summary

Tropical rainforests contain an astonishing variety of plants that are of use to man as a source of timber, food, medicines, industrial products, and spices. The nontimber forest products play significant roles in the domestic economy of countries, but unfortunately their continued use and availability is being threatened by timber extraction and shifting cultivation, both of which are wasteful and destructive, activities, and which are leading to the loss of a significant number of species. If tropical forests in general and their non-timber products in particular are to survive, a new approach is required in their conservation. More emphasis should be given to further studies on the enormous variety of uses of nontimber species, coupled with attempts to encourage traditional and sustainable use of the species both within and outside the forest.