Abstract
Investigations of the effects of extraction of non-timber forest products have concentrated on Latin American forests, yet South Asian forests may provide new insights into this problem. The following five papers address issues relating to extraction of non-timber forest products in South Asia. These papers include an economic valuation of deciduous forests in India, case studies of use of forest products by rural people in India and Sri Lanka, and a description of long-term research program for multiple-use forestry in Sri Lanka. This series of papers complements recent case studies from Latin America (e.g., Nepstad and Schwartzman 1992).