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Livelihood and Conservation Aspects of Non-wood Forest Product Collection in the Shaxi Valley, Southwest China 1

Livelihood and Conservation Aspects of Non-wood Forest Product Collection in the Shaxi Valley,... Livelihood and Conservation Aspects of Non-wood Forest Product Collection in the Shaxi Valley, Southwest China . The Shaxi Valley in Yunnan Province, P.R. China, is inhabited by Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups. We found a clear dichotomy between household strategies in the valley bottom and the mountain areas, with significantly lower household income in the mountains. The majority Bai people live predominantly in the fertile valley floor and cultivate rice, keep livestock, and commonly pursue off-farm work. Other ethnic groups live in more remote mountainous areas of the Shaxi Valley, where the collection of non-wood forest products, especially wild mushrooms, plays an important role in securing livelihoods. However, only households in the valley's central villages engage in the profitable non-wood forest product trade. Mushroom populations appear to be less vulnerable to commercial harvest than the rapidly declining wild medicinal plant populations. Due to this decline, local farmers have gained interest in cultivating medicinal plants, but only if risks are low and if financial and technical support is provided. Encouraging the cultivation of medicinal plants appears to be an appropriate means of sustainable community development. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Economic Botany Springer Journals

Livelihood and Conservation Aspects of Non-wood Forest Product Collection in the Shaxi Valley, Southwest China 1

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References (54)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2010 by The New York Botanical Garden
Subject
Life Sciences; Plant Ecology; Plant Physiology; Plant Anatomy/Development; Plant Systematics/Taxonomy/Biogeography; Plant Sciences
ISSN
0013-0001
eISSN
1874-9364
DOI
10.1007/s12231-010-9126-z
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Livelihood and Conservation Aspects of Non-wood Forest Product Collection in the Shaxi Valley, Southwest China . The Shaxi Valley in Yunnan Province, P.R. China, is inhabited by Tibeto-Burman ethnic groups. We found a clear dichotomy between household strategies in the valley bottom and the mountain areas, with significantly lower household income in the mountains. The majority Bai people live predominantly in the fertile valley floor and cultivate rice, keep livestock, and commonly pursue off-farm work. Other ethnic groups live in more remote mountainous areas of the Shaxi Valley, where the collection of non-wood forest products, especially wild mushrooms, plays an important role in securing livelihoods. However, only households in the valley's central villages engage in the profitable non-wood forest product trade. Mushroom populations appear to be less vulnerable to commercial harvest than the rapidly declining wild medicinal plant populations. Due to this decline, local farmers have gained interest in cultivating medicinal plants, but only if risks are low and if financial and technical support is provided. Encouraging the cultivation of medicinal plants appears to be an appropriate means of sustainable community development.

Journal

Economic BotanySpringer Journals

Published: Sep 1, 2010

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