[MPWG] Deer Foraging Threatens Ginseng Survival

[Sonya]

Source: West Virginia University Released: Thu 10-Feb-2005, 14:10 ET
http://www.nis.wvu.edu
Deer Foraging Threatens Ginseng Survival


An abundant deer population with a hearty appetite for American ginseng 
threatens the survival of the widely harvested medicinal plant, a study 
by West Virginia University biologists suggests.


Newswise — An abundant deer population with a hearty appetite for 
American ginseng threatens the survival of the widely harvested 
medicinal plant, a study by West Virginia University biologists suggests.

Ginseng, a wild herb that inhabits eastern deciduous forests from Maine 
to Georgia, faces extinction within 100 years if foraging by deer 
continues at its current rate, James McGraw and Mary Ann Furedi report 
in Friday’s (Feb. 11) issue of Science, the flagship journal of the 
American Association for the Advancement of Science.

“Without more effective deer population control, ginseng and many other 
valuable understory herbs are likely to become extinct in the coming 
century,” the authors conclude.

American ginseng, or Panax quinquefolius, grows under forest canopies in 
well-drained, nutrient-rich soils. The plant consists of green leaves, 
red berries and gnarly roots whose touted medicinal qualities range from 
improving mental performance to being a cure-all.

Asians have sworn by these medicinal qualities for centuries, and the 
high demand for ginseng in that corner of the world has made it a cash 
crop in Appalachia. More than 10,000 West Virginians go into the woods 
each fall to find ginseng to sell; for some, the harvests provide an 
important income supplement. In 2002, more than 6,400 pounds of ginseng 
with a value exceeding $2 million were harvested in West Virginia, 
according to the state Division of Forestry’s Web site.

Past studies have shown a drop in ginseng populations, and concern over 
its rarity led to the plant being added to an international treaty’s 
list of protected species.

In the WVU study, McGraw, an Eberly Family Professor in WVU’s Department 
of Biology, and Furedi, his research associate, conducted a census of 
about 800 ginseng plants in seven different locations in West Virginia 
from 2000-04.

Furedi examined each plant every three weeks during the five-year 
period, collecting detailed information ranging from the height and 
number of leaves to whether deer had browsed the plants.

The amount of deer browsing ranged from 11 percent to 100 percent, 
depending on deer and plant populations and plant locations, she said.

The lowest rate, McGraw noted, is more than double the amount of ginseng 
harvested, which is less than 5 percent.

Next, McGraw designed a computer program that took Furedi’s field data 
and manipulated it to determine the effects of deer foraging of ginseng 
at various rates over 100 years.

Their simulations included browsing based on various deer populations, 
ranging from the present herd count studied to no deer.

“We found that at current deer browsing rates, virtually all ginseng 
populations are likely to go extinct,” McGraw said. “As you reduce the 
browsing rates, the ability of ginseng to survive increases dramatically.”

McGraw said he is concerned that ginseng could be the ecological 
equivalent of the canary in the coal mine, noting that deer eat many 
other forest plants such as trilliums and wild orchids.

“We don’t think it’s just ginseng we have to worry about,” he said.

So what can be done?

McGraw said there are three options: Do nothing and watch ginseng likely 
disappear from the landscape; reintroduce deer predators such as 
mountain lions and wolves; or change hunting regulations that would lead 
to a reduction in deer populations.

“This has a potential impact not only on plant biodiversity in the 
region, but also on the economy and culture of the people who harvest 
ginseng,” he said. “Reversing this impact will require a joint effort of 
all stakeholders whose lives are negatively affected by increased deer 
populations – from farmers and foresters to landscapers and motorists.”

The National Science Foundation supported the study.



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