Trade in Nepalese medicinal plants, fungi, and lichens is huge, yet there is no overview of traded species, impeding the development of targeted and appropriate conservation interventions. This study intends to identify all traded species from Nepal, analyze their distribution patterns, and assess their vulnerability, none of which has been done before. Contemporary data on traded species were obtained from 113 sub-local traders, 105 local traders, and 75 central wholesalers for case year 2014–2015, and historical data from a review of trade-related publications. We recorded 300 species in trade, double that of previous estimates, distributed across 97 families and 197 genera. Most species are concentrated in subtropical and lower temperate regions indicating an economic potential for increased cultivation and domestication at middle altitudes. About 39% of commercial species are formally protected, including through bans on collection and trade of certain species. But this approach does not appear to protect species from commercial harvesting, driven by increasing demand and higher prices. The high-altitude species Nardostachys jatamansi, Rheum australe, and Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora are the most vulnerable traded species, warranting the development of alternative protection mechanisms, e.g., transferring management rights to local communities.

尼泊尔药用植物，真菌和地衣的贸易量巨大，但没有贸易品种的概述，这阻碍了有针对性和适当的保护措施的发展。这项研究旨在识别尼泊尔的所有贸易物种，分析其分布模式，并评估其脆弱性，而此前从未做过。2014-2015年个案的当代贸易数据来自113个次区域贸易商，105个地方贸易商和75个中央批发商，以及来自与贸易有关的出版物的历史数据。我们记录了300种贸易，是先前估计的两倍，分布在97个科和197个属中。大多数物种集中在亚热带和较低的温带地区，这表明在中海拔地区增加耕种和驯化的经济潜力。大约39％的商业物种受到正式保护，包括通过禁止某些物种的收集和贸易进行保护。但是，在需求增加和价格上涨的推动下，这种方法似乎并未保护物种免于商业捕捞。高空物种Nardostachys jatamansi，Rheum australe和Picrorhiza scrophulariiflora是最脆弱的贸易品种，有待开发其他保护机制，例如将管理权转移给当地社区。