Are commercial wild-harvested plants just ordinary? Traits, harvesting patterns and conservation implications in France

Wild plant harvesting plays a significant role in daily life, with over 40,000 species having well-documented uses. However, its ecological impacts on wild-harvested plant (WHP) populations are often overlooked. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of commercial wild harvesting in France, exploring the factors that drive this practice and identifying knowledge gaps regarding conservation concerns. We analysed 692 commercially harvested wild plant species in Metropolitan France and Corsica, representing 12 % of the national vascular flora. Our assessment considered their phylogeny, distribution, harvested parts, uses, life forms, Grime's CSR strategies, conservation status, and regulatory measures.

Our findings highlight the taxonomic diversity of WHP, spanning 110 families (60 % of French vascular plant families) and 431 genera (33 % of all genera). Analyses reveal a weak phylogenetic influence on WHP selection, suggesting additional contributing factors to this selection. WHP are geographically widespread, with the highest diversity in the Alps and southern France. Ecologically, they reflect the broad characteristics of French flora in terms of life forms and CSR strategies. These results support the concept of a ‘harvesting syndrome’ driven mostly by species availability.

WHP can be harvested primarily for medicinal (37 % of WHP species), food (20 %), and craft (14 %) purposes, with destructive methods potentially used in 60 % of cases. Conservation analysis indicates that WHP are generally less at risk than the total flora, with 91 % classified as Least Concern by the IUCN, though more local conservation assessments are needed to address region-specific threats.