The sustainability of trade in wild plants-A data-integration approach tested on critically endangered .

While the demand for many products from wild-harvested plants is growing rapidly, the sustainability of the associated plant trade remains poorly understood and understudied. We integrate ecological and trade data to advance sustainability assessments, using the critically endangered in Nepal to exemplify the approach and illustrate the conservation policy gains. Through spatial distribution modeling and structured interviews with traders, wholesalers, and processors, we upscale district-level trade data to provincial and national levels and compare traded amounts to three sustainable harvest scenarios derived from stock and yield data in published inventories and population ecology studies.

Climate change-induced distributional change of medicinal and aromatic plants in the Nepal Himalaya.

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) contribute to human well-being via health and economic benefits. Nepal has recorded 2331 species of MAPs, of which around 300 species are currently under trade. Wild harvested MAPs in Nepal are under increasing pressure from overexploitation for trade and the effects of climate change and development.

Illegal harvesting and livestock grazing threaten the endangered orchid (D. Don) Soó in Nepalese Himalaya.

Harvesting of orchids for medicine and salep production is a traditional practice, and increasing market demand is spurring illegal harvest. Ethno-ecological studies in combination with the effect of anthropogenic disturbance are lacking for orchids. We compared population density and structure, and tuber biomass of (D.

(Asteraceae), a new species from Humla, Nepal Himalayas.

A new species S.K.Ghimire & H.

Plant density and life history traits of in North-central Nepal: effects of elevation and anthropogenic disturbances.

Increasing cross-border trade of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) has put heavy pressure on a considerable number of species in the Himalayas. One of the threatened species in Nepal is . Unfortunately for this species and for many others, our knowledge on population ecology and performance across the distribution range is insufficient, hindering the formulation of species-specific management plans.

Harvest effects on density and biomass of vary along environmental gradients in the Nepalese Himalayas.

A surprisingly large number of species potentially threatened by human harvest lack quantitative ecological studies incorporating harvest effects, especially clonal species in the alpine Himalayas. We studied density and biomass variation of a threatened medicinal herb, to examine the effect of harvest on plant performance. The study covered two regions with contrasting harvest situations-one with open-access and another protected from commercial harvesting.

Nepalese traditional medicine and symptoms related to Parkinson's disease and other disorders: Patterns of the usage of plant resources along the Himalayan altitudinal range.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Nepal is a hotspot for cultural and biological diversities. The tremendous diversity of ecosystems and climates and the blend of medicinal practices inherited from Ayurvedic and Traditional Tibetan Medicine are well suited to a study aimed at discovering information about medicinal plants to treat Parkinson's disease (PD). In addition, this study across Nepal's altitudinal range is relevant to understanding how cultural and ecological environments influence local traditional medicines.