Effects of logging on non-timber forest product extraction in the Brazilian Amazon: community perceptions of change

Community perceptions are used to assess the effects of logging on non-timber forest product (NTFP) extraction in a case study Community in the Tapajos-Arapiuns Extractive Reserve, Para, Brazil. Rapid rural appraisal (RRA) is used to explore changes in community harvests of, and access to, the most important NTFPs. Community estimates showed a decline in fruit and nut harvests after conventional logging (CL) (with a forest-gate value reduction of 86%). According to community estimates, hunting rates declined 62%, after CL. Changes in abundance and accessibility of NTFP resources were seen as the key factors affecting harvest rates. Overall, the community held a negative impression of the effects of commercial logging on both NTFP extraction and community life in general.