Abstract: An ethnobotanical investigation and study in the Lemo people's society was carried out in the eastern slope of the Gaoligong Mountains in western Yunnan, China. The research results indicate that the Lemo people rely on the wild plant resources and biological environment to survive and prosper. The Lemo people have a tradition of practicing swidden cultivation in which they plant lacquer and alder trees ( Toxico-dendron vernicifiuum and Ainus nepalensis) for swidden fallow management. The Lemo's lacquer tree planta-tions are an indicator of shifting cultivation among all ethnic groups in Yunnan and even in the world. In ad-dition they collect and use over 60 species of wild edible plants and over 100 species of medicinal plants. Important medicinal herbs such as Coptis teeta and Fritillaria cirrhosa are also used for bartering with the people outside of their society. The Lemo people s worship of natural environment plays a positive role in the conservation of biodiversity in the region.

Key words: Lemo people