Commercial collection of alpine medicinal plants in Nepal is widely believed to destroy the resource base. This study explores the impact of three different collection methods on the regeneration of a frequently collected and traded plant species, Nardostachys grandiflora DC (Valerianaceae), listed in CITES Appendix II. The collected product is the plant rhizome from which essential oil is extracted. An experiment with 209 2×2 m plots on both south- and north-facing slopes of a valley in Gorkha District was conducted over two years. Harvesting 100% of the plants in plots followed by replanting of upper plant parts and 2 cm of the rhizome provided the fastest regeneration and rhizome biomass growth.

An analysis of the taxonomic composition of 6,496 samples of plants collected for the National Cancer Institute is conducted and the results are presented. The results show that collecting has been highly biased towards woody plant families, as these species are often abundant, they yield samples of multiple parts, and it is often easy to collect sufficient material for isolation of chemicals present in low concentration. Conversely, herbaceous plants that are small or grow in sparse populations are underrepresented in collections. Three of the ten generically most diverse families in Madagascar have not been sampled, and of these ten families, only Rubiaceae and Euphorbiaceae have had greater numbers of samples collected than predicted if collecting was random. The causes of this bias are discussed, and solutions to ensure that bioprospecting efforts gather samples reflective of the diversity present are presented.

Despite its local use as a fiber and international trade in thaumatin, the intensely sweet protein derived from its fruit, little ecological information about Thaumatococcus daniellii (Benn.) Benth. is in the public domain. Here, we combine systematic studies of the local knowledge of plant collectors and cultivators in Ghana with a thorough evaluation of the plant's natural distribution in order to explore possibilities for increasing the contribution that it makes to sustaining rural livelihoods in West and Central Africa. The natural range goes well beyond where commercial collection and cultivation have been previously reported. Local knowledge was found to be detailed and explanatory. Its acquisition has refined our understanding of the ecology of the plant, although some significant gaps remain, particularly with respect to pollination. The market for thaumatin is ripe for expansion, and the plant has untapped potential as an intercrop for rubber and cocoa. Further domestication needs to be accompanied by consideration of impacts on the livelihoods of those who presently collect fruit from the wild, and of opportunities for increasing the value that accrues within Africa through the development of local processing capacity.

There is a range of forest management systems between pure extraction and plantation systems. Such “intermediate systems” range from wild forests modified for increased production of selected products to anthropogenic forests with a high-density of valuable species growing within a relatively diverse and complex structure. These systems, classed here as “Forest Garden Systems” (FGS), have important socioeconomic and ecological benefits, and yet they have been largely overlooked by researchers, development practitioners, and policy makers. Based on case examples and the authors' experience, this paper analyzes the socioeconomic and institutional factors that explain the development, persistence, and decline of FGS. These systems combine productivity and biodiversity values and are important components in the diverse economic systems of their managers. As such, the model warrants increased attention to protect existing values, to support the adaptation of existing systems to changing circumstances, and to inform the development of new models of integrated forest management.

The late Bronze Age lakeshore settlements of Grésine (French Alps) have yielded archaeobotanical evidence of 14 cultivated and 153 wild plants. Some of the wild taxa may have been collected, but many are probably here by chance. Three criteria are used as evidence for human transport and manipulation of wild plant remains: number of items, fragmentation, and carbonization. Relations between these criteria and known ethnobotanical properties of the identified plants are statistically analyzed. Results display good evidence of the gathering of edible wild fruits and seeds. Other gathering practices are not documented. Edible fruits and seeds seem to have been gathered mainly from ruderal spring weed communities and, possibly, from forest clearances and hedge communities. Fragmentation appears to be less of a discriminating factor than number of plant remains and carbonization.

The diversity of Indian lichen flora has undergone a considerable decline in the last five decades. Among the various anthropogenic activities, overexploitation and selective removal of economically important lichens have become major threats to the lichen flora of the country. Commercial samples of lichens collected from different states of India were studied for their source and commercial use. Among samples offered for sale, 38 different lichen species were identified. The western Himalayas proved to be the main area for lichen collection, while some lichen species also come from the central and Western Ghats. Local traders coordinate the lichen collection and then sell the material to traders in the foothills, and from there it is processed and distributed to other parts of the country and abroad. Because lichens belonging to the families Parmeliaceae and Physciaceae are the ones most exploited commercially, they are recommended for inclusion in the CITES list.

Indigenous people of southeastern North America drank cassina, a stimulant and emetic decoction that the colonial British termed “black drink.” Though most authors cite Ilex vomitoria Ait. as the botanical source of cassina, confusion persists because some researchers identify the source as I. cassine L. To clarify the link between plant and product, the methylxanthine alkaloid contents of I. vomitoria and I. cassine were compared. Since methylxanthines (i.e., caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline) have pharmacological properties congruent with the recorded effects of cassina consumption, the alkaloids provide a chemical basis for the evaluation of both taxa as sources of the beverage. Methylxanthine levels are higher in I. vomitoria than in I. cassine, and the principal alkaloid of the former is caffeine. Based on its alkaloid content, I. vomitoria is the best-supported candidate source of cassina.