NON-TIMBER FOREST PLANT RESOURCE ASSESSMENT IN NW AMAZONIA

OBJECTIVES

• Carry out a market survey of NTFPP in NW Amazonia.
• Carry out a comparative assessment of NTFPP resource availability in different forest types in three pilot areas in NW Amazonia.

ACTIVITIES

The activities of the project are described in four work packages :

1. Initial seminar for the project's participants: to get to know each other and to discuss relevant project issues at an initial stage, including organization, methods, publication policy, data handling, intellectual ownership, time schemes, benefits and goals.
2. Market survey of NTFPP in NW Amazonia: comprising a reconnaissance of current level of commercialization of NTFP products in NW Amazonia, on basis of field visits to selected local, and regional/national markets.
3. Assessment of potential NTFPP resource availability: comprising quantitative ethnobotanic and ecological research in plots of 0.1 ha and along transects in pilot areas in Ecuador (Yasuni area), Peru (basins of Ampiacu and Yaguasyacu rivers), and Colombia (middle Caquet river basin). Methods to estimate the potential usefulness of trees and lianas (down to 2.5 cm diameter) in forest types, recognised on recent aerial photographs and satellite imagery, will be compared and evaluated.
4. Final book: includes editing of reports into chapters of the final book, which will be printed and distributed among all partners and collaborating communities.

EXPECTED OUTCOME

• Improved knowledge of market situation for commercial NTFPP extraction in NW Amazonia.

• Evaluations of NTFPP assessment techniques, with improved estimates of NTFPP usefulness of different forest types, also shown on maps.

• Strengthening of research and fieldwork capacity of Latin American scientists regarding NW Amazonia forest ecosystems and NTFPP resource management.

• Spanish book on NTFPP forest resources in NW Amazonia on the basis of the contributions from all researchers.