Conservation of Natural Resources within Mature Tropical Forests: How an Indigenous Community Uses and Manages Wild Plants in the Comarca Ngobe-Bugle, Panama

Concerns regarding the degradation of tropical forests and the indigenous communities that rely on them have been growing for decades. However, the use of wild plants and local efforts to manage them remain poorly understood. Using participatory methods, this research examines the use and management of useful wild plants from mature forests by a Ngobe community in the forested highlands of the Comarca Ngobe-Bugle in western Panama. Ethnobotanical information about nine plants selected by the participants was obtained through a household survey, interviews, focus groups and harvest trips. The findings show that that the use of wild plants is gendered and varies between households, and that a variety of management practices are used within the community, aimed at reducing the impacts of harvesting. The study also identifies limitations of current management practices for long-term sustainability, and highlights the necessity of basing conservation strategies on local priorities for useful plants.