Title:
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Valuing rainforests : a botanical and ethnobotanical study of non-timber forest products in the Sinharaja forest of Sri Lanka
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This study seeks to investigate whether the biodiversity conservation of the Sinharaja
rainforest in Sri Lanka can be economically justified solely in terms of its non-timber forest
products (NTFPs) extraction potential as claimed by some recent research. A variety of
methods and techniques were deployed including a botanical inventory survey, a crosssectional
ethnobotanical survey, an ethnobotanical log-book survey and an ethnozoological
survey. Several aspects relating to the NTFPs use: a) valuing the total inventory stock, the
total extractable stock limit, the potential flow and actual flow; b) estimating the wild meat
flow; c) seasonality of harvesting; d) sustainability issues; e) influence of phytosociological
characteristics; f) influence of socio-economic characteristics; and g) forest accessibility;
and h) market accessibility were investigated.
Biophysical and socio-economic factors influencing the NTFPs value were investigated
using a regression analysis. The impact of the NTFPs extraction on the regeneration of the
natural population was investigated using three forest sites, a proximal site, a distant site,
and a logged forest. The local peoples' perception about the sustainability of NTFPs
harvesting was analysed using logit regression analysis. A geographic information system
was used to investigatet he influenceo f accessibilityt o the forest and to the marketplace
from the villages on the forest products flow. Finally, the NTFPs value was compared with
alternative land-clearance use and timber use values.
The results indicate that the NTFPs extraction value is insufficient on its own to
economically justify the rainforest biodiversity conservation in Sri Lanka, and perhaps
elsewhere. There is also some doubt about the long term sustainability of forest products
extraction. The study concludes that the rainforest conservation will have to be justified by
a full total economic value (use and non-use values) appraisal, together with other scientific
and ethical reasoning and cannot be promoted solely on the basis of non-timber extraction
value.
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