CONTENTS:- 1. Introduction. 2. Wood. 3. Marketing of wood. 4. Food from forests. 5. Fooder. 6. Bamboos. 7. Canes or rattans. 8. Medicinal and aromatic plants. 9. Commercial leaves. 10. Natural dyes. 11. Gums and mucilage. 12. Starches. 13. Oils and fats. 14. Lac. 15. Essential oils. 16. Vegetable tannins. 17. Fibres and flosses. 18. Resins and oleo-resins. 19. Trade and development of non timber forest produce.
DESCRIPTION
Tropical forests with high degree of species richness provide immense valuable services to mankind. Not only are the they oxygen tank for the world, but since time immemorial they have rendered mankind a variety of plant material for different uses. Be it food, fodder, fuelwood, fibre constructional material or remedies for ailment, insecticides, pesticides, fertilizers, tropical forest offer a wide spectrum of forest products. The importance of immense potential of forest produce in contributing to the rural economy has recently been recognised. There is a need for all round and systematic research efforts for their conservation cultivation, harvesting, processing, value adding locally and marketing to translate their economic potential in improving the economy of the masses. The documentation and identification of species generating useful forest produce and their conservation in situ and ex-situ is a major task today. Standardisation of cultural practices and extension of cultivation practices of some of the highly demanded species are another thrust areas to develop tropical forest produce. The book emphatically discusses some of these issues apart from describing utilization and marketing practices of important forest produce. It is hoped that this book will provide the necessary take off for better development of forest produce, alleviation of poverty, conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development to ensure our healthy survival.
