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International Conference on

Recent Trends in Environmental Sustainability

ESCON22/SAgri/38

Diversity of wild food plants as non-timber forest products in tribal communities of
Thakht-e-Sulaiman Hills (Pakistan): implications for sustainable livelihood and
biodiversity conservation

Khalid Ahmad*1
1Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology,
Abbottabad Campus, Pakistan

Correspondence: khalid.taxonomist@gmail.com, khalidahmad@cuiatd.edu.pk
Abstract

The current fast socioeconomic fluctuations and significant environmental changes constitute
existential challenges for tribal communities of Thakht-e-Sulaiman Hills, Pakistan. Therefore,
manifold problems get arrived which needs to improve the livelihood of these people through
sustainable livelihood strategies.For the collection of quantitative and qualitative data on
socioeconomic issues, household and community surveys were carried out. Besides semi-
structured interviews on non-timber forest products (hereafter NTFPs) collection and
marketing, transect walks were also made for a quantitative assessment of the forest use. The
NTFPs were an important source of income for 11% households in the study area. A total of
13 plant species from 13 different families with 256 use reports, obtained from 40 informants,
comprise the NTFPs of the area. The wild fruits were the most important and prominent
category regarding sub-categories of NTFPs, from which each village gets highest earning. The
NTFPs are contribution well in the livelihood of mountainous areas and has the potential to
diversity and improve their livelihood on sustainable basis. For this, awareness to the collectors
regarding marketing, consumer’s demands, training in the sustainable and sophisticated
collection, storage facility and the encouragement for marketing of the less utilized species
should be taken in consideration and implemented at the government level.
Keywords: Wild Food Plants; Non-timber Forest Products; Sustainable Livelihood;
Biodiversity Conservation

Department of Environmental Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Vehari Campus

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