Non-wood Forest Products from Conifers

Book excerpt: The objective of this paper is to provide a global review of the non-wood uses of conifers. For the purposes of this paper, conifers are defined as trees and shrubs of the botanical orders Coniferales, Taxales and Ginkgoales (Rushforth 1987). Although some services are briefly mentioned, the focus of this paper is on products which conifers provide species, which are important sources of non-wood forest products, and places where these products are harvested. With the exception of essential oils, which can be obtained from several parts of the tree, the products described are organized by the part of the tree from which they are obtained (e.g. foliage, bark and roots, resin, seeds and cones). Where possible, data on levels of production and international trade are presented. Problems associated with the sustainable management of these products and compatibility or conflicts with other land uses are also presented. Both contemporary and historical or traditional uses of non-wood products from conifers are discussed.