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Conservation and development through medicinal plants: a case study from Ludian (Northwest Yunnan, China) and presentation of a general model

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Abstract

A model for community-based conservation and development is presented, potentially applicable wherever communities rely on locally collected medicinal plants. The motivational foundation for conservation offered by these plants relates to people’s interests in health support, financial income and cultural identity. The model is based on experiences in the Medicinal Plants Conservation Initiative, a four-year programme (2005–2008) of Plantlife International with national partners, involving 14 projects in 8 countries in East Africa and the Himalayas. All projects provide evidence on the question “How best can communities conserve their medicinal plants?”. One of the projects (in China) is described to illustrate the types of evidence offered by the projects. The model consists of three social elements (community groups, project teams, policy makers), the relationships between them, and types of activity suggested for each group. Not all types of activity are relevant in all contexts. It is suggested that faith-based organisations, women’s associations and indigenous people’s groups are often well placed to take the model forward in terms of practical application at the landscape scale. The (on-going) project in China is at Ludian, a Naxi community in Northwest Yunnan. There is a secondary project site at Yongzhi, a Tibetan and Lisu village. The Ludian project is notable within the modern Chinese context for establishment of the first community group concerned specifically with the conservation of medicinal plants and the first community protected areas for medicinal plants.

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Abbreviations

AV:

Administrative Village

CBD:

Convention on Biological Diversity

EU:

European Union

KIB:

Kunming Institute of Botany

MPCA:

Medicinal Plants Conservation Area

NGO:

Non-governmental conservation

NTFPs:

Non-timber forest products

TCM:

Traditional Chinese Medicine

TNC:

The Nature Conservancy

UNESCO:

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

US:

United States of America

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Acknowledgements

We wish to extend our appreciation to the communities at Ludian and Yongzhi for their hospitality and cooperation in the work, in particular to Dr He Chongshan, Mr He Jin Jiang, Mr He Yun, Dr Hua Nan and Mr Yang Shengguang at Ludian, and Mr Baima, Dr Sinacili, Mr Tibucili and Mr Zaxi at Yongzhi. The general model has been developed from analysis of all 14 projects of Plantlife’s Medicinal Plants Conservation Initiative. It has benefitted from suggestions from many of those involved. Particular thanks to Gerald Eilu, Archana Godbole, Tsewang Gonbo, Syed Kamran Hussain, Fanny Jamet, Dennis Kamoga, Peris Kariuki, Ashiq Ahmad Khan, Staline Kibet, Giridhar Kinhal, Rudy Lemmens, Frank Olwari, Cyprian Osinde, Ram C. Poudel, Suman Rai, Krishna Shrestha and Paul Ssegawa. The case study in China was funded by grants from Plantlife International and the EU-China Biodiversity Programme, the latter channelled through The Nature Conservancy (TNC). Plantlife’s Medicinal Plants Conservation Initiative has been funded by the Allachy Trust, the Rufford Maurice Laing Foundation, the Gurney Charitable Trust, the Tanner Trust and Dr William Hamilton. Alan Hamilton appreciates the vision of Dr Jane Smart, the former chief executive of Plantlife International for launching the Plant Conservation and Livelihoods Programme, and the support of Jonathan Rudge, and Elizabeth Radford, leaders of Plantlife’s international programme. Many thanks to Beth Newman for help with the illustrations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Heilongtan, Kunming, 650204, People’s Republic of China

    Pei Shengji, Yang Lixin, Yang Zhiwei, Gao Fu & Zhang Quangxin

  2. College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, 225009, People’s Republic of China

    Huai Huyin

  3. 128 Busbridge Lane, Godalming, Surrey, GU7 1QJ, UK

    Alan C. Hamilton

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  1. Pei Shengji
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  2. Alan C. Hamilton
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  3. Yang Lixin
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  4. Huai Huyin
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  5. Yang Zhiwei
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  6. Gao Fu
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  7. Zhang Quangxin
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Correspondence to Alan C. Hamilton.

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Shengji, P., Hamilton, A.C., Lixin, Y. et al. Conservation and development through medicinal plants: a case study from Ludian (Northwest Yunnan, China) and presentation of a general model. Biodivers Conserv 19, 2619–2636 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-010-9862-5

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