An analysis is presented of different forest management systems relevant to production of timur ( Zanthoxylum armatum ) in the western part of Salyan district, Nepal. Timur is a shrub or small tree, 6 m or more tall, which occurs naturally as an understorey species at altitudes between 1000 and 2100 m. Products of this medicinal plant (fruits, seeds and bark), which are used in a wide range of pharmaceutical preparations, are regularly traded with India. Data were collected through structured interviews with more than 200 timur collectors, using a standard questionnaire. Descriptions are given of four different forest management regimes on open-access state lands, two different types of community-controlled lands, and private lands. Each system is characterized by a specific set of access regimes, organizational rules for collecting and managing timur, and management practices. A gradual increase in management intensity takes place from public lands to private lands as a result of various socioeconomic and politico-legislative factors. In contrast to earlier Nepalese studies, increased market price rather than increased scarcity was found to be the most important factor inducing intensification of timur production. It is concluded that the effects of supply and demand factors on management intensity of NTFPs cannot be generalized; these effects depend on both the management and marketing characteristics of specific NTFPs.