Hong Truong Luu: News Update March 2006

Ensete glaucum - an NTFP plant found new to the flora of Southern Vietnam (2).JPG

Flower of Hibiscus surattensis - A medicinal and vegetable plant.JPG

We have conducted all five surveying trips. The first trip in August 2005 was to investigate activities and techniques in harvesting, processing and trading medicinal plants, harvested and traded species, uses, amounts of harvested, traded and locally used plants, phenology, collection time and roles of medicinal plants on local economy and health care based on PRA interviews with stakeholders including local users, healers, traders and local governments in the five communes in the bufferzone.

The other four trips in November 2005 to March 2006 were to conduct the forest inventory to measure/record/sample medicinal plants in four transects of total 100 plots of 20 m x 20 m in size each, which were established across the mountain. Data collected are under processing/analyzing to understand the present status, habitat and ecological importance of medicinal plants and to detect possible human impacts. They are also important for further planning on external cultivation and management. Many findings have been made during the operation of the project, one of which is to be disseminated in an article tittled “Chuoi bac ha – an NTFP plant new the the flora of Southern Vietnam” we submitted to the Newsletter of NTFP Vietnam (www.ntfp.org.vn)