Applied Ethnobotany: People, Wild Plant Use and Conservation

Its wise and sensitive approach to working with local people will be relevant in situations throughout the world.' ECOS 'The numerous diagrams, tables of data, information flow charts, fieldwork sketches etc. give a great vibrancy to the work... It deserves a wide readership.' TEG News Wild or non-cultivated plants are crucial to the lives of a large portion of the world's population, providing low-cost building materials, fuel, food supplements, medicines, tools and sources of income. Despite their importance, their vulnerability to harvesting and other social impacts is not well understood. Applied Ethnobotany is the first practical guide to be published on how to manage wild plant species sustainably. This detailed manual on wild plant resources sets out the approaches and field methods involved in participatory work between conservationists, researchers and the primary resource users. Supported by extensive illustrations, it explains how local people can learn to assess the pressures on plant resources and what steps to take to ensure their continued availability. For all those involved in resource management decisions regarding plant species and diversity, and in particular those studying or working in conservation, rural development and park management, this guide is invaluable. Published with WWF, UNESCO and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew

Anthony Cunningham works with People and Plants International (PPI), is a Senior Associate at CIFOR and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Plant Biology, University of Western Australia. He is an ethnoecologist/applied ecologist who has focussed on the interface between local livelihoods, sustainable natural resource use and conservation. He has written many peer reviewed publications, including the book "Applied ethnobotany: people, wild plant use and conservation" (Earthscan, 2001) and has been the recipient of several awards, including the Sir Peter Scott Conservation award (1999) from IUCN and the E K Janakki medal (2003) for services to the field of ethnobotany.