The ecological implications of harvesting non‐timber forest products

Summary The harvest of wild non‐timber forest products (NTFP) represents an important source of income to millions of people world‐wide. Despite growing concern over the conservation of these species, as well as their potential to foster forest conservation, information on the ecological implications of harvest is available only in disparate case studies. Seventy studies that quantify the ecological effects of harvesting NTFP from plant species were reviewed, with the aims of assessing the current state of knowledge and drawing lessons that can provide guidelines for management as well as better directing future ecological research in this area. The case studies illustrated that NTFP harvest can affect…