Assessing Traditional and Sustainable Harvesting Methods on the Collection of Two Leading Non-Timber Forest Products - Griffonia simplicifolia and Xylopia aethiopica - In Liberia

Traditional harvesting methods of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) are known to be destructive and/or wasteful that lead to reduction and sometimes depletion of the population and the biodiversity. Sustainable harvesting however is not only necessary for conservation of biodiversity, but also the livelihoods of many rural peoples in forest areas for their sustenance. Sustainable harvesting increasingly acknowledged as a conservation strategy can easily be employed for plants that require seeds harvest as product, such as Griffonia and Xylopia. The harvesting of these plant products requires a practical method and a change of behavior pattern towards sustainability. Change in behavior patterns with corresponding modifications in harvesting techniques can create a win-win strategy for harvesters and the biodiversity. The study describes current methods for harvesting two important Liberian plant species (Griffonia simplicifolia and Xylopia aethiopica) and suggested alternative (proposed sustainable) technique and their impact on the population in two harvesting seasons. In the first and second harvest seasons, using traditional methods, an average total of 34.6 kg of Xylopia and 22.7 kg of Griffonia pods were collected; while using alternative methods, an average total of 52.5 kg of Xylopia and 34.7kg of Griffonia pods were collected. Equally using the traditional method, an average total number of 87 trees of Xylopia and 85 vines of Griffonia were damaged, while an average total number of 12 trees of Xylopia and 10 vines of Griffonia were damaged using the ‘proposed sustainable’ method. Changes in behavior pattern of local collectors incorporating the ‘proposed sustainable’ alternative method of collection lead towards a win-win situation with added value of preservation.