Unsustainable Harvesting Practices Research Articles

Traditional health practitioners' practices and the sustainability of extinction-prone traditional medicinal plants

ABSTRACT For centuries, traditional health practitioners (THPs) have used their indigenous knowledge (IK) in conserving medicinal plants and environments in order to maintain sustainability. Medicinal plants have played an important role in the healthcare system of Africa. With the rapid environmental, social, economic and political changes occurring in many areas inhabited by rural people, the danger exists that the loss of biodiversity from habitat destruction and unsustainable harvesting practices will cause some species to become extinct, threatening the availability of medicinal plants on a regional level. This article presents the findings of research conducted to investigate the sustainability of the harvesting practices of THPs, with specific reference to extinction-prone traditional medicinal plants in the study areas of the Limpopo province, South Africa. The main aim of the study was to determine the natural habitat of extinction-prone traditional medicinal plants, combining the insight of THPs with the ultimate goal of guiding research for the conservation, propagation and cultivation of traditional medicinal plants. The study adopted a qualitative research approach and data were collected using in-depth interviews. The findings indicate that the THPs’ practices are shaped by historical processes and local cultural values, social norms and their management strategies, which are influenced by a broad range of factors.

Toward sustainable harvesting of Africa's largest medicinal plant export (Prunus africana): a case study in Tanzania

Global demand for treating prostate disorders with Prunus africana bark extract has made P. africana Africa's largest medicinal plant export. Unsustainable harvesting practices can lead to local extirpations of this multipurpose tree. Survey research targeting P. africana harvesters in a Tanzania forest reserve revealed that 78% of them used unsustainable harvesting practices. This research focused on establishing a socioeconomic profile of the harvesters, the profitability of their business operations, and identifying the factors that influence their selection of harvesting practices. Results indicate that harvesters have above-national-average education, double the average family size, and generate income exceeding government's minimum wages. Large family size and high earning potential imply increased future harvesting activity. Logistic regression results indicate that education and training level could predict the likelihood that a harvester would use unsustainable harvesting practices. Local- and district-level government organisations could implement a resource assessment as a basis to design and implement harvesting schedules and ensure that the harvesters receive appropriate training, regardless of their education level.

The China Forest Products Trade: Overview of Asia-Pacific Supplying Countries, Impacts and Implications

SUMMARY Over 70 % of China’s timber product imports are supplied by countries in the Asia Pacific region, and China is the dominant forest product market for many of these countries. Unsustainable harvesting practices, illegal logging, and negative impacts on community livelihoods plague many of these supplying countries. The countries may be divided into those still harvesting and exporting timber from natural forests on a large scale and those which have gone past their highest levels of natural forest timber harvesting and are now more aggressively pursuing plantation development and processing. Apart from Russia, China’s top Asia Pacific timber suppliers could at best maintain current supply, with natural forest resources being depleted in less than 20 years. Resource limits also constrain expansion and/or long-term continuation of processed product export to China. Greater attention and action on the part of governments, market leaders, and international organizations is needed to address negative impacts, shifting supply to a sustainable, legal, and equitable basis and to determine from where China’s long-term supply will come.