Abstract
The sale of Non-timber Forest Products (NTFPs) provides multiple livelihood benefits to local communities and regional economies. However, informal markets remain understudied. In this paper, Cycas swamyi, one such important NTFP from southern India has been assessed. C. swamyi is a cycad which has been reported to be overharvested for sale in the ornamental cut flowers and medicinal industry. This species is currently known only from in and around Melkote Wildlife Sanctuary, Karnataka. Supply chain, value chain, and practice of harvesting have been assessed to evaluate the leaf and pith trade and its relation to plant sustainability. Results showed that harvesting is strongly seasonal in the leaf markets. Leaf inflow strongly follows the marriage and festival seasons. Pith trade was not found in the area, though we got to know that it was active during 2004–2010. The pith was being used as an ingredient to prepare medicines in Ayurveda and Siddha systems of medicine. Given that leaf harvest involves complete defoliation and that pith harvest involves lopping of the entire plant, the scale of harvesting documented could jeopardize the remaining populations of these slow-growing and long-lived cycad species. There is an urgent need for conservation and management enforcement to ensure the long-term survival of this plant. Effective legal regulations are imperative, since the harvesting of these products is under high pressure from commercial market sales. Awareness among the user community is also crucial to protect these wild plants from declineReferences
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