[MPWG] Science paper on ginseng

[Jim McGraw]

Colleagues of the medicinal plants working group.

It is tempting to let Mr. Hays' email to all of you simply find it's 
way to your collective e-trash cans, however, I have learned from 
past experience that it is sometimes better to confront misleading 
and untrue statements directly, rather than hope they will go away.

I would first encourage all of you to examine the article for 
yourself, rather than read news reports or second-hand or third-hand 
accounts.

I will not take the time here to confront all of Mr. Hays' invectives 
directed at the Fish & Wildlife service.  Instead, here I address 
issues aimed at our paper and at me personally.

1.  Mr. Hays states that the USFWS pays McGraw to provide the 
information they want.  First, the Science study was funded by the 
National Science Foundation, not Fish and Wildlife Service.  Prior to 
that, I did have funding from the USFWS, however, I would never take 
grant money from any source if I was told what the outcome of my 
research should be.  That would be scientifically unethical, and as a 
scientist, I would never participate in such a sham.

2.  Mr. Hays states that I would tell you all ginseng berries ripen 
at the same time no matter the geography or weather.  This could not 
be farther from the truth.  I have a paper in press with Northeastern 
Naturalist that has the first rangewide data on ginseng berry 
ripening.  What we showed is that state-to-state variation is not 
statistically significant (other than one outlier state where we had 
only 2 populations).  There was tremendous population-to-population 
variation within states and lots of variation even within 
populations, some of which is no doubt explained by geography and 
weather.  Mr Hays was apparently attempting to discredit me by his 
blanket statement, but he has not read the paper, co-authored, by the 
way, with 15 other very knowledgable ginseng botanists.

3.  Mr. Hays states that McGraw shows no concern for the people of 
West Virginia...that he comes from elsewhere.  First, if you read the 
Science article, and all of our publications, we repeatedly emphasize 
the cultural and economic importance of the wild harvest of ginseng 
in Appalachia.  Indeed, in interviews with reporters, I go further 
and repeatedly state that as conservation biologists, one of our 
prime concerns is preservation fo the culture of harvest, because of 
the tremendous tie this creates between people and the land, made all 
the more special because it is a tie between people and an 
inconspicuous understory plant.  This tie is worth conserving because 
it engenders tremendous appreciation for biodiversity.  We also 
repeatedly emphasize the economic benefit of the wild harvest.  All 
of this is threatened if white-tailed deer populations browse 
populations toward extinction.

As for being from elsewhere, I have lived in WV longer than anywhere 
else in my life.  22.5 years.  If that disqualifies me from making 
scientific observations on ginseng, then I guess you'll buy Mr. Hays' 
arguments.

4.  Claims that the deer population is in decline simply do not hold 
up to real data.  I do not claim to be a wildlife biologist, but 
there was one on Mary Ann Furedi's committee who advised her on 
estimating deer densities.  Densities near our ginseng populations 
(which are quite spread out over the state) were 2 - 5 times 
pre-settlement levels (up to 49 deer per square km).

5.  Mr. Hays claims that ginseng in WV is not threatened.  I don't 
believe ginseng is listed as threatened in WV.  In fact we have 
published the first ever estimates of total population sizes, which 
are in the millions.  Nevertheless, it is CITES Appendix II listed, 
which means harvest must be annually certified to be nondetrimental. 
I believe FWS has certified it as such annually since its original 
listing.  We do have other studies ongoing that examine the effects 
of harvesting, and variable harvesting practices, on wild ginseng 
populations.  Please stay tuned for that story.

6.  Our Science study simply showed, by demographic modeling with an 
outstanding data set (credit goes to Mary Ann Furedi for that), that 
at current rates of deer browse, virtually all wild populations of 
ginseng are at risk over the next century.  It won't happen this year 
or next, but if current trends continue, the ginseng trade is in for 
major trouble.  And that would be sad.

With kind regards,
Jim McGraw
-- 
*************************************************************************************************************************************
The environment is a national security issue.

James B. McGraw,  Eberly Professor of Biology
Director of Graduate Studies
Dept. of Biology, P. O. Box 6057
West Virginia University
Morgantown, WV  26506-6057
Phone: 304-293-5201 x 31532

Office: Room 5204, Life Sciences Building
Lab:  Room 5209/5211
Dept. web page: http://www.as.wvu.edu/biology
JBM's web page: http://www.as.wvu.edu/biology/faculty/mcgraw.html
JBM's extensive personal web page: 
http://www.as.wvu.edu/biology/faculty/JBMPersonalSite/index.html