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Changing Role of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) in Rural Household Economy: The Case of Sinharaja World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka

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Abstract

This paper examines the modified patterns of utilizing non-timber forest products (NTFP) and associated behavioral changes around tropical forest areas in the context of conservation-related objectives and other commercially driven objectives. Our study introduces a conceptual framework based on the household production theory and tests empirically the hypotheses drawn at Sinharaja World Heritage in Sri Lanka. The results show that conditions introduced by forest conservation programs and the spread of small-scale commercial tea cultivation are transforming the economy around Sinharaja. The process is an economically rational one where resident communities decide upon their actions based on the opportunity cost of time involved with NTFP in the absence of observable prices. Although the process, overall, has led to a decline in the role of NTFP in the household economy, its impact over different NTFP are not uniform, leaving sustained demand for certain NTFP. This situation calls for a multifaceted approach in forest management programs to address the various household needs fulfilled by NTFP-based activities.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to express their gratitude to the McArthur Foundation, USA, for financial assistance. They also express their appreciation to Professors Nimal Gunatilake and Savithri Gunatilake of the Botany Department, University of Peradeniya, and Professor Mark Ashton of Yale University for comments and encouragement through this study. The authors also thank Dr. A. L Hammet, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and two other anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on the content of the manuscript and Mr. P.M.D. Fernando for support in editorial improvements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Post Graduate Institute of Agriculture, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

    Athula Senaratne, Piyasena Abeygunawardena & Wijaya Jayatilake

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  1. Athula Senaratne
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  2. Piyasena Abeygunawardena
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  3. Wijaya Jayatilake
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Correspondence to Athula Senaratne.

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Senaratne, A., Abeygunawardena, P. & Jayatilake, W. Changing Role of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) in Rural Household Economy: The Case of Sinharaja World Heritage Site in Sri Lanka. Environmental Management 32, 559–571 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-2973-y

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