NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS IN THE WESTERN GHATS OF INDIA: FLORISTIC ATTRIBUTES, EXTRACTION AND REGENERATION

Abstract

MURALEEDHARAN, P. K., SASIDHARAN, N., KUMAR, B. M., SREENIVASAN, M.
A. & SEETHALAKSHMI, K. K. 2005. Non-timber forest products in the Western Ghats
of India: floristic attributes, extraction and regeneration. An attempt was made to
examine the occurrence, regeneration and extraction patterns of non-timber forest
products (NTFPs) at three locations in the Western Ghats of Peninsular India. NTFPyielding plants in the Western Ghats constituted about 40% of the flora. However,
only less than 50% of the 229 NTFP species were commercially exploited. The rest
were used by local people. Species richness was variable between sites but reflected
disturbance regimes and/or the magnitude of NTFP extraction. During NTFP
collection, often branches are lopped for harvesting fruits, fires are lit at the base of
trees to stimulate resin flow and the bark is collected in a destructive manner. High
extraction rates of some NTFPs resulted in poor density, sparse distribution of species
and depletion of biodiversity. Yet herbaceous NTFP species, capable of regenerating
through vegetative means, registered adequate regeneration, even when 95% of the
plants were harvested. An understanding of the vital attributes of the NTFP species is,
therefore, critical for sustainable NTFP management.