Non-timber forest products as a means of livelihood in Mon district, Nagaland, India

The Konyaks in Nagaland, India, since time immemorial have been dependent on the forest and its products for their sustenance and economic growth. The use of non-timber forest products (NTFPs) in Mon district, Nagaland, was studied through surveys and interviews with vegetable vendors in Mon and Aboi town markets, and villagers of Chingkao, Tangnyu, Sheanghah-Lampong, Wakching and Hongphoi. Forest resources and their products have been a source of livelihood providing the local inhabitants with food, medicine, construction materials and other utilitarian items, especially for the economically marginal people residing in and around the forest. This study covers 43 plant species belonging to 26 families that are used by the tribals of Mon district. Family Asteraceae was dominant in yielding forest products followed by Arecaceae and these resources are used with the traditional knowledge passed down from gene­rations. The study shows the diverse NTFPs that fulfill the needs of a thriving Naga tribe.