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Special forest products: species information guide for the Pacific Northwest.

Informally Refereed

Abstract

This guide is a collection of information about economically important vascular and nonvascular plants and fungi found in the Pacific Northwest that furnish special forest products. Many of these plants and fungi are also found in Alaska, northern Idaho, and western Montana. They contribute to many botanical, floral, woodcraft, and decorative industries and to the rapidly growing medicinal, herbal, and natural foods industries. Internet commerce has made these products available to consumers worldwide and expanded interest in medicinal plants, decorative floral products, and edible wild fruits and mushrooms. This guide provides a consolidated information resource that briefly describes biological, ecological attributes of over 60 plants and fungi, and their wild harvest methods, alternatives to wild harvest, and uses. The harvest techniques described in the guide are based on the recommendations of experienced harvesters and experts who have worked with these botanical resources and support sustainable practices. Information for this guide was gathered from various documents and other sources. The technical areas of expertise consulted spanned a wide range of knowledge including plant biological and ecological sciences, ethnobotany, horticulture, mycology, and forest ecology.

Keywords

Special forest products, nontimber forest products, medicinal plants, edible fungi, botanical industry, herbs, wildcraft, Pacific Northwest, sustainable forestry

Citation

Vance, Nan C.; Borsting, Melissa; Pilz, David; Freed, Jim. 2001. Special forest products: species information guide for the Pacific Northwest. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-513. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 169 p
Citations
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/3075