Local Perception of Matsutake Mushroom Use and Preservation in Xiengkhuang and Huaphan Provinces

Matsutake Mushoom (Het Wai) in Lao is the most prized and expensive mushroom in Laos as well as on earth. Since the 1990s Xiengkhuang and Houaphan Provinces were found the only two places of Mutsutake in Laos. Since then local people harverting and exporting of Musutake to Vientiane city for earn money from their sale has become crucial to local livelihood and so to community development. Amid fear of declining production destruction of its ecosystem and lacking of regulation to control Mutsutake harvest through enforcement remains largely in the hand of harvester themselves. Here, we measure local harvest are perception of the ecological, mushroom conservation importance determinant to live hoods in the region and how to important future yields. Determinants of mushroom productivity. The survey was conduct from 2016-2017. A total of 81 families members were interviewed in 7 districts (4 in Xiengkhuang and 3 in Houaphan Provinces) 7 villages were interview determine local perception of Matsutake mushroom costs, its productivity and the sustainability of mushroom ecosystem. Our result indicated that Het Wai was found edible and consumed since end of 1990s. The Lao name of Musutake mushroom is different depending on local naming Het Soum, Het Lok and Het Peak. Morphological Het Wai from 7 districts are about 9 cm in average of size. Professionally, mushroom harvesters including farmers 64%, students 25% and local government staffs 11%. Economic status of mushroom harvesters divided in to poor family 81%, medium in come 19% and rich family hasn’t evolve with this task. Diversity of age spectrum of harvesters show that group of young age 8-25 years old is higher than other group 39% and second is the group of age 26-40 years old. Local perception of using Het Wai indicate that harvesting for sale 93 %, for medicines values 5% and for consumption 2%. Ecological survey found Castanopsis echinocarpa 50%, Castanopsis hystrix 22%, Lithocarpus truncatus 21% Castanopsis tribuloides) 7%. Of the 68 % of harverster who had perceived declining productivity trends over the past years. Climate change, habitat degradation and mushroom. Over harvesting were most often cited as causal factors. Environmental protection, mushroom harvest properly and reducing soil disturbance were most often cited as potentia increasing future yields. Local and outside knowledge are complimentary in this system. The district governor’s forestry officials and village leaders should provide the best conduits for management and conservation Mutsutake mushroom in Xiengkhuang and Huaphanh Provinces.
Key words: Forestry. The name of Het Wai is called Tricholoma bakamatsutake.