Manoranjan Ghose’s research while affiliated with Indian Statistical Institute and other places

We identified 67 and 21 NTFP-yielding plant and animal species, respectively, in a reserve forest in Cachar district of Assam. We recorded globally threatened species listed by IUCN as Critically Endangered (plant species Dipterocarpus turbinatus), Vulnerable (plant species Aquillaria malaccensis), Endangered (animal species Hoolock hoolock, Indotestudo elongata and Manis pentadactyla), and Vulnerable (animal species Nilssonia hurum and Rusa unicolor). The whole plant or animal and/or their various parts were used as food or medicine, in house construction, magico-religious activities and others. While some NTFPs were harvested throughout the year, others were harvested seasonally. A comprehensive NTFP policy, along with scientific measures for regeneration, restoration and augmentation of NTFP-yielding plants and animals, would help in addressing the conflicting demands of conservation and livelihood in the forests of this area.

Non-timber forest product (NTFP) plays a significant role in the lifestyle oftheforest dwellers of the Inner line Reserve Forest (ILRF) of Ca char, Assam, India. Both tribal and non-tribal communities of ILRF depend on several NTFPs for their livelihood and safety net. Large scale depletion of forest land and resources in the reserve forest has endangered the safety net of the ecosystem. In this paper an attempt has been made to study the dependency and usage pattern of the NTFPs in ILRF