Approaches to the economic valuation of non-timber products from the Alto Paraná Atlantic forests, Paraguay

Introduction: The economic valuation of ecosystem services provided by forests is a necessary effort for the sustainable management of forest ecosystems.Objective: Estimating the economic direct use value expressed by non-timber forest products (NTFPs) of the Alto Paraná Atlantic forests, Paraguay.Materials and methods: The study was carried out in a 1-ha permanent monitoring plot and the direct market price method was used. Non-timber species were identified and classified according to their uses, they were prioritized according to commercial importance and national market reference prices were applied.Results and discussion: A total of 36 species with potential non-timber uses (medicinal, ornamental, food and handicraft) were identified, among which the following were prioritized: Didymochlaena truncatula (Sw.) J. Sm., Miltonia sp., Oeceoclades maculata (Lindl.) Lindl., Thaumatophyllum bipinnatifidum (Schott. ex Endl.) Sakur., Calazans & Mayo, Billbergia nutans H. Wendl. ex Regel, Acianthera sp. and Chusquea ramosissima Lindm. The medicinal category was the strongest category (71 %). The economic value of the prioritized NTFPs with ornamental uses and market prices per unit was 2 270 USD∙ha-1.Conclusions: The economic value of NTFPs from the Alto Paraná Atlantic forests represents a reference value indicating the important role of non-timber products in the sustainable management of tropical forests.