Current Status of Wild Olive (Olea cuspidata Wall.ex G. Don)

This study was conducted in July, 2009 with the main objective of assessing the status of Olea cuspidata Wall., listed on Red Data Book used by IUCN, in Bajura District of Nepal. Primary data were collected through household meetings, key informant survey, focus group discussion, participatory resource mapping and field inventory. Secondary data were collected through published and unpublished literatures, reports, net surfing, libraries, and other concerned organizations. Distribution area, stem per hector and historical situation were calculated to explore the status of wild olive. GIS was used to calculate the area and prepare distribution map. The major finding of this study reveals that Bajura district has conspicuous potentiality for wild olives but poor knowledge among local people and concerned local government organizations on this particular species pose the species with greater rate of threats. It is found that Olea forest is excluded from the national resource information data base including topographic map. Overall study explains poor status of wild olives in the district and seeks urgent conservation interventions.