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Chitral is rich in biological diversity and has dry temperate forest resources and total forest area of District chitral is 4.5 % of the total land area. Forest resources contribute about 80 % to the livelihood of people living in extreme poverty. The potential Non- Timber Forest Products collected from the dry temperate forest of chitral are; morels,honey, fruits and nuts, vegetable, condiments and spices, silk cocoon, and many other. Ajaz, 2007, reported 3 species of edible mushrooms in the District and 50 % of the local people are dependent on Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) for income generation. Local people rely on their indigenous knowledge for collection, processing, packing, drying, marketing and consumption of various NTFPs especially mushrooms. Mushrooms, after collection and processing are sold to the middleman who then sells in the main market. More than 65 % of the product is lost on the way to main market of finished product, this book is on NTFPs of the dry temperate forest of Chitral Pakistan and the role of these products to support the rural rural livelihood of the local community.

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Mr. Ajaz Ahmad belongs to District Chitral Pakistan with 6 year experience in the field of sustainable management of NTFPs in dry temperate forest of Pakistan. Mr. Ajaz is a Graduate of Pakistan Forest Institute Peshawar and UOM. presently he is serving in Non-Timber Forest Products,Forest Department at Chitral Northern Pakistan.

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