Investigation on Species Resources and Utilization of Wild Vegetable in Nabanhe Watershed Nature Reserve, Xishuangbanna

Utilization of wild vegetables with high nutritional and medical values is one of the key approaches to settle the conflicts between biodiversity conservation and community development. Nabanhe Nature Reserve of Xishuangbanna, which is located in Southernmost Yunnan, China, is rich in wild vegetable resources. Though the area of Nabanhe nature reserve accounts for only 1.35% of Xishuangbanna area, there are 182 recorded species of wild vegetables in this nature reserve, belonging to 149 genera, 78 families, accounting for 63.2% of the total wild vegetable species recorded in Xishuangbanna area. The key issues of wild vegetable utilization in the reserve area are poor marketing and the low-leveled exploitation and utilization of most of these valuable species. It is believed that the comprehensive planning based on systematic investigation of wild vegetable resources is an ideal pattern for the sustainable development of agriculture in this nature reserve.