Integrative Management of Commercialized Wild Mushroom: A Case Study of Thelephora ganbajun in Yunnan, Southwest China Jun He • Zhimei Zhou • Huixian Yang • Jianchu Xu Received: 13 March 2010 / Accepted: 28 April 2011 / Published online: 22 May 2011 Ó Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011 Abstract The management of wild mushroom is inter- disciplinary in nature, whereby the biophysical consider- ations have to be incorporated into the context of a wide range of social, economic and political concerns. However, to date, little documentation exists illustrating an interdis- ciplinary approach to management of wild mushrooms. Moreover, the empirical case studies necessary for devel- oping applicable and practical methods are even more rare. This paper adopted an interdisciplinary approach combin- ing participatory methods to improve the habitat manage- ment of Thelephora ganbajun, an endemic and one of the most economically valuable mushroom species in South- west China. The paper documents an empirical case of how an interdisciplinary approach facilitated the development of a scientific basis for policy and management practice, and built the local capacity to create, adopt and sustain the new rules and techniques of mushroom management. With this integrative perspective, a sustainable management strategy was developed, which was found not only tech- nically feasible for farmers, but also acceptable to the government from an ecological and policy-related perspective. More importantly, this approach has greatly contributed to raising the income of farmers. The paper highlights how the integration of biophysical and socio- economic factors and different knowledge systems pro- vided a holistic perspective to problem diagnosis and resolution, which helped to cope with conventional scien- tific dilemmas. Finally, it concludes that the success of this interdisciplinary approach is significant in the context of policy decentralization and reform for incorporating indigenous knowledge and local participation in forest management. Keywords Non-timber forest products (NTFPs) Á Fungi Á Interdisciplinary research Á Community-based natural resource management Á Indigenous knowledge Á Participatory action research Introduction For centuries, people across the world have been using wild mushrooms for food, medicine and cosmetics as well as for other economic and cultural purposes (Boa 2004; Moerman 2008). As one of the most important non-timber forest products (NTFPs), they are a major source of substantial income for millions of farmers and, in particular, indigenous peoples around the world (FAO 1997). On a global scale, more than 3,000 species of wild mushrooms are consumed, while more than 100 species are of great medicinal value for fighting against cancer and other life-threatening diseases (Garibay-Orijel and others 2009). A recent estimate shows wild edible mushrooms have generated about USD 2 billion in global revenues in 2004 (Boa 2004). Moreover, wild mushrooms have important ecological functions as they provide vital nutrition to the native forests and even J. He (&) Á J. Xu Center for Mountain Ecosystem Studies, Kunming Institute of Botany, Kunming 650204, China e-mail: h.jun@cgiar.org J. He Á J. Xu World Agroforestry Centre, ICRAF China & East Asia Node, Heilongtan, Kunming 650204, China J. He School of International Development, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, UK Z. Zhou Á H. Yang Baoshan Forestry Bureau, Baoshan 678000, Yunnan, China 123 Environmental Management (2011) 48:98–108 DOI 10.1007/s00267-011-9691-7