Knowledge, Attitude, Practice and Economic Benefits of Paris polyphylla in Mongar Gewog, Mongar, Bhutan

Paris polyphylla is harvested unsustainably in Asia. Lack of accurate information and adequate research on P. polyphylla in Bhutan is a challenge for its sustainability. This cross-sectional survey assessed local people's knowledge, attitude, practice, and economic benefits of P. polyphylla in Mongar Gewog, Bhutan. Face-to-face interviews using semi-structured questionnaires were conducted to collect data from 200 households selected via exponential non-discriminative snowball sampling technique in early 2020. The results showed that people are aware of the medical and commercial values of P. polyphylla. They are also aware of the declining population of P. polyphylla due to unsustainable harvesting. The respondents have high positive attitude towards conservation of the plant in their locality. However, their knowledge and attitude did not support their practice and belief. About 46% of households have started to domesticate the plant. Thus, this study recommends creating awareness on sustainable harvesting, researching the feasibility of domesticating on commercial scale, developing conservation strategies at the local level and enhancing economic local benefits of the plant.