First-ever book on Mekong rattan species aims to promote sustainable practices

(The New York Botanical Garden) Rattan, a type of climbing palm used to make furniture and many other products, is the basis of a multi-billion-dollar industry that provides vital economic support for communities across Southeast Asia, but its natural stocks are in decline in many places. A collaborative research effort by The New York Botanical Garden and the World Wildlife Fund catalogs for the first time the 65 rattan species found in Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam and details the data and management practices necessary to harvest rattan sustainably.

Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - February 13, 2014 Category: Biology Source Type: news