Campbell & Luckert (ed.): Uncovering the Hidden Harvest:
valuation methods for woodland and forest resources
Laird (ed.): Biodiversity and Traditional Knowledge:
equitable partnerships in practice
NB The appendix material from this book is available on this website
(see Series section under Publications)
Shanley et al. (ed.): Tapping the Green Market:
management and certification of non-timber forest products
Meanwhile, the following title is now published in Spanish:
Anthony B. Cunningham:
Etnobotánica Aplicada:
pueblos, uso de plantas silvestres y conservación
Medicinal Plants of Dolpo: Amchis' Knowledge and Conservation
This important book was published in December last year by the WWF Nepal Program.
It is one of the results of the successful collaboration between scientists and local
experts -- a true sharing of knowledge, aimed at assisting development in a district
burdened by economic problems, but one which has an abundance of natural riches and
traditional expertise. Copies were distributed at a Conference of the
Himalayan Amchi Association in January 2002. In addition to chapters on medical and
ethno-ecological knowledge and practices, conservation of medicinal plants, trade and
health care, this book contains descriptions of 100 species of medicinal plants, with
information on their ecology, uses and conservation status. The book is in English and Tibetan.
Order from:
Yeshi Choden Lama
WWF Nepal Program
POBox 7660, Baluwatar
Kathmandu, Nepal
Kathmandu price: US$20 + postage costs
or (Europe or America):
Yildiz Aumeeruddy-Thomas
Association Nature et Sociétés
81, rue du Fbg Boutonnet
34090 Montpellier
France
Price in Europe is 28 euros including postage costs, or US$32.
Kenya Woodcarving Workshop
This meeting took place in Malindi, Kenya from 17th-22nd February 2002, and involved
a select group of key experts from around the world.
Increased difficulty of accessing wood for handicrafts is the major constraint currently
faced by many large-scale commercial carving enterprises in the tropics and subtropics.
This is an economic and social issue affecting (and reflecting) people's livelihoods as
much as it is an ecological issue linked to biodiversity conservation.
Overexploitation of favoured wood species such as true ebony (Diospyros ebenum), African ebony
(Dalbergia melanoxylon), rosewoods (Dalbergia latifolia and D. sissoides),
padauli (Pterocarpus dalbergioides), mukwa (P. angolensis) and
sandalwood (Santalum album) has certainly occurred, although few quantitiative studies
have been done of species-population level impacts.
What is clear, however, is that wood supplies are becoming more expensive as they are sourced from further and further afield,
including from within national parks and State forest reserves
(such as Corbett National Park in India and Arabuko-Sokoke Forest in Kenya).
One of the aims of the meeting was to plan and create a book dealing with the international
woodcarving trade, and many of those attending the gathering will be contributors to the
publication.
The meeting was infinitely more productive because it was held as a joint effort of
the WWF/UNESCO People and Plants Initiative and the Centre for International Forest
Research (CIFOR). The fact that it was a small, expert and enthusiastic group also enabled
in-depth discussions instead of just skimming the surface of important issues.
The financial support for this meeting from DFID to the International Plants Conservation
Unit of WWF-UK and through DFID to the CIFOR Forest products and People (FPP) programme is
acknowledged.
Proposed Global Strategy for Plant Conservation
Alan Hamilton, WWF Co-ordinator of the People and Plants Initiative, attended a meeting of a
Technical Expert Group called by the Secretariat of the Convention on Biodiversity,
11-13 February 2002, in Las Palmas, Canary Islands.
A proposal for adoption of a Global Strategy for Plant Conservation will be discussed by
the Parties to the Convention in The Hague, Netherlands, in April 2002.
If agreed, this will be a big step forward for plant conservation. It means that, at least
in principle, the great majority of countries around the world (signatories to the Convention)
recognise the plight of plants and the urgent need to take action to prevent their loss.
It will be up to the countries themselves and other interested organisations and programmes
- such as People and Plants - to grasp this opportunity by expanding their work or
following up new initiatives.
The proposed Strategy is target-driven, aiming to strengthen plant conservation across
the board, from increasing the quality of information used for plant conservation, in-situ and
ex-situ actions to conserve plant diversity, work to promote greater sustainability in the
use of plant resources, promotion of education, and provision of training and more effective
networks.
The targets of the Strategy are:
1. A widely accessible working list of known plant species, as a step towards a complete
world flora.
2. A preliminary assessment of the conservation status of all known plant species,
at national, regional and international levels.
3. Development of models with protocols for plant conservation and sustainable use,
based on research and practical experience.
4. At least 10% of each of the world's ecological regions effectively conserved.
5. Protection of 50% of the most important areas for plant diversity assured.
6. At least 30% of production lands managed consistent with the conservation
of plant diversity.
7. 60% of the world's threatened species conserved in-situ.
8. 60% of threatened plant species in accessible ex-situ collections,
preferably in their country of origin, and 10% of them included in recovery and
restoration programmes.
9. 70% of the genetic diversity of crops and other major socio-economically
valuable plant species conserved, and associated local and indigenous knowledge maintained.
10. Management plans in place for at least 100 major alien species that threaten plants,
plant communities and associated habitats and ecosystems.
11. No species of wild flora endangered by international trade.
12. 30% of plant-based products derived from sources that are sustainably managed.
13. The decline of plant resources, and associated local and indigenous knowledge,
innovations and practices, that support sustainable livelihoods, local food security and
health care, halted.
14. The importance of plant diversity and the need for its conservation incorporated
into communication, education and public awareness programmes.
15. The number of trained people working with appropriate facilities in plant conservation
increased, according to national needs, to achieve the targets of this strategy.
16. Networks for plant conservation activities established or strengthened at national,
regional and international levels.
People and Plants Initiative Curriculum Development Meeting
for Latin America
A workshop organised by GELA (Grupo Etnobotánico Latinoamericana) was held from 21-23 February 2002
at the Jardín Botánico Nacional Rafael Ma. Moscoso, in the Dominican Republic, to discuss
curriculum development in Latin America. The purpose was to learn of experiences and ideas
regarding the development of courses in Ethnobotany.
This is the second such regional meeting -- an earlier one was held in China in August 2002.
There is also a study underway in East Africa. These and other experiences/ideas will be gathered
together at a workshop in Pakistan in May 2002.
There was good representation at the workshop, including the national representatives
of GELA from several Latin American/Caribbean countries. GELA is a key group
for the development of Ethnobotany in LAC, being a membership organisation for ethnobotanists,
and with national representatives in the various countries.
The recommendations from this workshop will feed into further development of ethnobotany
courses in LAC. For instance, they will contribute to discussions at the Congreso Latinoamericano
de Botánica, October 13-18, Cartagena, Colombia. There will also be discussions on the
creation/development of ethnobotany courses in several universities.
The main result of the workshop was a (perhaps surprising) level of agreement on types
of ethnobotany courses, their general content, and areas which should be stressed to develop
the subject further (e.g. greater rigour in hypothesis generation and testing).
Overall, this was a very positive experience which will make a great contribution to the
development of ethnobotany internationally, with many ideas to be discussed in Pakistan,
including specific subjects which require further debate.
Ethnobotany is a growing subject in LAC, but with big differences between countries
(Mexico and Brasil are the most active). There is a strong move towards developing the subject
towards practical issues of conservation and development.
The meeting was preceded by a 2-day course on Anthropological and Biological Techniques
for ethnobotanical studies.
Alan Hamilton
The newsletter, reflecting a selection of the many activities of People and Plants,
is compiled by:
Martin Walters
People & Plants Editor and Web-manager
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