Ethnobotany in Dong Yai community forest, Tambol Srang Tho Noi, Amphoe Hua Taphan, Changwat Amnat Charoen

Study was conducted at Tambol Srang Tho Noi which consisted of 12 villages, population 7,233. Study framework was divided into two parts : 1) Assessment using Rapid Ethnobotanical Appraisal (REA) by interviewing key informants in the village for assessment of knowledge in and use of natural vegetation form Dong Yai Community Forest. 2) Performing direct field observation and measurement of useful natural vegetation and some ecological structure in sample plots of 40*40 meters in three main forest types: Dry Dipterocarp Forest, Mixed Deciduous Forest and Dry Evergreen Forest. The data were collected in three seasons for one year. Results are given below: REA revealed that villagers collected and used of 222 species of 79 families with 15 unidentified species. These natural vegetation could be divided into 5 categories : edible plants, medicinal plants, woody plants, fuelwood and other. Number of species and (families) of these plants in each categories were 101 (48), 99 (48), 45 (29), 36 (23) and 41 (23) respectively. 62 species of 28 femilies were found in local markets. In sample plots, 136 species of 60 families were found in all three seasons and 6 were unidentified. Number of species and (families) varied by type of factors : Dry Dipterocarp Forest 84 (46), Mixed Deciduous Forest 107 (52) and Dry Evergreen Forest 108 (53). Coefficients of Community used for comparing similarity in species composition among the three forest types were determined in each season for one year. By comparing between a pair of connected seasons, rainy: winter; winter Dry and rainy : Dry respectively. Coefficient of Community in Dry Dipterocarp Forest were 87.25 percent, 89.51 percent and 84.72 percent respectively. In Mixed Deciduous Forest were 84.44 percent, 86.55 percent and 80.70 percent and in Dry Evergreen Forest were 90.16 percent, 87.36 percent and 82.10 percent. The relationship between crown cover and number of species in each forest type as determined by using Linear Regression Equation showed that only in Dry Evergreen Forest data collected in rainy and dry seasons were significant in statistical analysis.