Plant uses in local livelihood of northern Laos have been influenced by many ecological, social and economical factors. In this research plan, the authors intend to map the dynamics of plant uses based on the intensive field surveys in a village area, Mai Naatao, La district, Oudomxay Province of Laos. The Khmu inhabitants of this village have relayed mainly on upland rice cultivation in swidden field for main staple. This traditional subsistence is influenced by current NGO activities including land allocation program and substitution of upland rice with cash plants.The field survey along four routes in fallow land and forests and one route in settlement includes three steps; 1) making interviews with people for the useful plants to ask about purpose (for self consumption or markets), methods (food, medicine, materials and others), condition (wild or cultivated), period of start of use, and others, 2) determining of the location of growth habitats by using GPS systems, and 3) collecting the plant samples to make herbarium specimens. This is followed by identification of the useful plants in cooperation with Dr. Khamlek Xaydala, Department of forestry, National University of Laos and drawing maps indicating distribution of useful plants in the village tract (Figures A, B, C, D, E) and related plant information list (Tables A, B, C, D, E).As the result of the field survey, the authors found 148 useful plants including both wild and domesticated plants and made 118 sheets of herbarium specimen. The wide ranged ecological zones where the useful plants grow in were indicated. They are settlement, farm land, fallow land, forest and watershed, with different conditions of water, light and soil, altitude and topography and also continuously varying intensities of human disturbance. The purpose of uses could be divided into two main categories such as for self consumptions and for market sales. The former contained plants for food, treatment and care and materials. Recent years, kinds of plants for food were increased in accordance with cultural exchanges between other ethnic groups, especially Tai people. Also, some particular wild plants are sold to traders for cash income. Most of them pass the national border to meet the demand of Chinese market.In the present situation the useful plant map is not complete because of some technical problems. However, the authors realize that the map could be the basis for discussing ecohistroy and future of rural Laos, and intend to continue the field research in 2005, to draw the three-dimensional map, indicating spatial and historical changes of people-plant relationships in Laos. We appreciate the kind suggestion and effective supports from NAFRI for the present research and hope the further collaboration
