A. Species
Scientific name: Gastrodia elata
Common name(s): Tianma
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status:
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- China
Country/Region:
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: National Level
Name/Details of location: Yiliang county in Zhaotong City
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2020
End Year: 2025
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from the wild but reared/cultivated in a managed site
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Cultivation
Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: Only parts or products of the organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Food and feed and Medicine and hygiene
Motivation of use: Income generation from trade (individual/household/community) and Traditional/Cultural/Spiritual
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people, National / local government and National / local private sector
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from the wild but reared/cultivated in a managed site
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: Published literature
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The use and trade of g. elata has promoted local economic growth and provides diverse employment opportunities.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: Published literature
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The industry has played a crucial role in poverty alleviation, lifting 6,100 households and 25,600 individuals out of poverty. It enables young people to return to their home towns for employment, where they play an active part in all segments of the industrial chain. The study highlights how traditional practices are integrated in to the cultivation and use of G. elata.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
The record recommends improving the management of the symbiotic fungus Armillaria mellea and addressing the ecological impacts of wood-intensive cultivation to protect forest health.
Record source
Information about the record source: scientific_pub
Date of publication/issue/production: 2025-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2025-07-28