Of particular importance, in addition to wood, which is the main forest product in forests, non-wood forest products (NWFPs) are of major interest. These non-wood forest products represent an important food source for the population. The most common NWFPs are represented by: medicinal plants, edible mushrooms, forest fruits, seeds and animals. The following NWFPs have been identified in Covasna County: Cantharellus cibarius, Macrolepiota procera, Christmas trees, cetin, Urtica dioica L. (nettle), Allium ursinum L., Juniperus sp. and Tetrao urogallus (capercaille). Covasna County is located in the central part of the country, in south-eastern Transylvania, occupies an area of 375 km² and is surrounded by the Eastern Carpathians. The purpose of this paper is to characterize the main important NWFPs in this region. The hierarchy of these products was created with the help of an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) that aims to analyze several decisions with the help of well-established criteria. Within this hierarchy, 19 criteria were taken into account that refer to several aspects, among which: harvesting period, tools needed for harvesting, distribution range, market potential, etc. Following this analysis process, it resulted that the most important NWFPs in Covasna County are: Chrismas tree, Cantharellus cibarius, Tetrao urogallus and cetin. The first two products are the most sought after and popular on the market.

non-wood forest products, AHP, Covasna county, Chrismas tree, Cantharellus cibarius

biology

Presentation: poster