Assessing Traditional and Sustainable Harvesting Methods on the Collection of Two Leading Non-Timber Forest Products - <i>Griffonia simplicifolia</i> and <i>Xylopia aethiopica</i> - In Liberia

Abstract

Traditional harvesting methods of NTFP are known to be destructive and/or wasteful that can reduce and sometimes deplete the population of NTFP and the biological diversity. Sustainable harvesting is not only necessary for conservation of plant diversity, but also for the livelihoods of many rural peoples in forest areas who rely on forest products for their sustenance. Sustainable harvesting increasingly acknowledged as a conservation strategy can easily be employed for species plants that require seeds harvest as product, such as Griffonia and Xylopia. The harvest of such NTFP requires a practical sustainable harvesting method and a change of behavior pattern towards sustainability. Change in behavior patterns with corresponding modifications in harvesting techniques can create a win-win strategy for harvesters and the biodiversity. The study describes current methods for harvesting two important Liberian NTFP (Griffonia simplicifoliaandXylopia aethiopica) and suggested alternative (proposed sustainable) technique and their impact on the population in two harvesting seasons. In the first and second harvest seasons, using traditional methods, an average total of 34.6kg of Xylopia and 22.7kg of Griffonia was collected; while using alternative methods, an average total of 52.5kg of Xylopia and 34.7kg of Griffonia collected. Equally using the traditional method, an average total of 87 trees of Xylopia were damaged, while an average total of 12 trees were damaged using the ‘proposed sustainable’ method. Changes in behavior pattern of local collectors incorporating the ‘proposed sustainable’ technique of collection lead towards a win-win situation for NTFP with added value of preservation.