The problem of methodological approach to planning of non-wood forest products in Turkey

Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) has gained importance in Turkey since 2000s. During this period, four international NWFPs meetings took place in Turkey and reflecting different approaches of forestry scientists, in the last three meetings showing the approach 282 papers were presented. General Directorate of Forestry (GDF), the authority on NWFPs, established the Department of Non-Wood Forest Products and Services in 2011 and expanded the structure of the organization. NWFPs and sustainability have been continuously placed in National Forestry Program and Strategic Plans of GDF and the sustainability of these products have been considered. While GDF has focused on production and sales of NWFPs formerly, it has expanded the regulations to “inventory” and “planning” of these products by arranging two new communiques in 2013 and 2016. The scope and purpose of this paper is to investigate the degree of inclusion and proposal of management techniques, planning models and monitoring indicators suitable for the sustainability of the species and products under the limitations of papers presented at last three international meetings held in Turkey and communique numbered 302. As a result of this review, it was determined that scientific studies could give limited support to the development of planning approaches for NWFPs, while the communique containing species specific information has mainly focused on explaining the principles to arrange annual harvesting