[MPWG] MPWG V1#1 -- ginseng
Colin Donohue
colin at nnfp.org
Fri Sep 13 23:09:06 CDT 2013
I have watched too many Powerpoint presentations with pictures of
"wild ginseng" populations growing next to stone walls on land that was
obviously plowed fields at one time within the past 100 years.
Lol ^^^ this.
Considering how little we actually know about natural ginseng seed
dispersal, except for human activity, I believe that humans are the
prime originator of the populations that we are now trying so hard to
preserve from humans.
>
> As for the CBS news story that precipitated this entire, enjoyable and
> enlightening discussion, (Your welcome Patricia!), it seems that Mr.
> Eidus' "gloom and doom" remark, has resulted in a spike in ginseng
> prices from the Asian buyers who take major US TV news stories seriously.
>
Kind of funny given that my most recent random conversation with a
digger he was saying he's seen more ginseng this year than in the last
10 years.
>
> People listen to and respect Charlie Rose in particular. While this
> may be good in the short run, for dealers like me, it is not good at
> all in the long run for the remaining ginseng still growing in the
> wild. No regulations, not even a complete ban of harvest will save
> these remaining plants from poachers and the inevitable black market.
> It is time to recognize that conservation efforts need to focus far
> more on increasing the supply side of the equation through wild
> simulated plantings then attempting to control harvest.
>
> Bob
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *From:* MPWG [mpwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] on behalf of
> Jeanine Davis [Jeanine_Davis at ncsu.edu]
> *Sent:* Friday, September 13, 2013 9:27 AM
> *To:* 'James McGraw'; 'Michael Schenk'
> *Cc:* mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org
> *Subject:* Re: [MPWG] MPWG V1#1 -- ginseng
>
> What a great review article! Thanks for sharing, Jim. Jeanine
>
> *Jeanine M. Davis, Ph.D.*
> *Associate Professor and Extension Specialist*
> *Dept. of Horticultural Science, NC State University*
> *Email:*Jeanine_Davis at ncsu.edu<https://ch1prd0411.outlook.com/owa/UrlBlockedError.aspx>
> *Websites:*http://ncherb.org
> <http://ncherb.org/>**http://ncspecialtycrops.org
> <http://ncspecialtycrops.org/>http://ncorganic.org <http://ncorganic.org/>
> *Blog:*http://ncalternativecropsandorganics.blogspot.com<http://ncalternativecropsandorganics.blogspot.com/>
> *Twitter:*http://twitter.com/JeanineNCSU
> *Facebook:*http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeanine-Davis/1442912228
> <http://www.facebook.com/people/Jeanine-Davis/1442912228>
> *Address:*Mtn. Hort. Crops Research & Extension Center
> 455 Research Drive,Mills River, NC 28759
> *Phone:*828-684-3562 ***FAX:***828-684-8715
>
> *From:*MPWG [mailto:mpwg-bounces at lists.plantconservation.org] *On
> Behalf Of *James McGraw
> *Sent:* Thursday, September 12, 2013 9:04 AM
> *To:* Michael Schenk
> *Cc:* mpwg at lists.plantconservation.org
> *Subject:* Re: [MPWG] MPWG V1#1 -- ginseng
>
> N
>
> ice summary, Michael! And interesting discussion all around.
>
> In case anyone hasn't seen our review paper, it is attached. Feel
> free to disperse far and wide...
>
> Best wishes, Jim McGraw
>
> On Sat, Sep 7, 2013 at 9:19 PM, Michael Schenk <schenkmj at earthlink.net
> <mailto:schenkmj at earthlink.net>> wrote:
>
> While we might argue about details and dates of extinction (hey, what
> do you expect from tv?), wild ginseng is definitely heavily
> threatened, by a synergy of factors.
>
> "Poaching". There are gray areas here, where traditional harvesting
> might cross a paper border, but there are clear signs that the nature
> of ginseng harvesting has changed. Here's one anecdote: a friend who
> grew up digging sang found a good bed. He harvested from that bed for
> years, but made the mistake of disclosing it to an in-law with drug
> issues. The entire bed disappeared. Combine this anecdote with the
> ongoing recession and the spread of meth and painkiller addiction...
> So traditional diggers are also stewards, but there's another, newer
> ethos going on here.
>
> Habitat loss. Population's increasing, and an awful lot of people of
> means want a lawn in the country. Mountaintop removal coal mining
> buries Appalachian coves in waste; prime ginseng habitat is used as a
> landfill. Interstate highways just have to be built. I'm sure MPWGers
> can fill in many other habitat issues.
>
> Invasive species. I know we've argued this over in the past, but I've
> seen with my own eyes how stiltgrass and tearthumb can completely
> dominate forest edge areas, as well as interior areas. With habitat
> fragmentation, there's lots more edge, too.
>
> Climate change. Another hot button, but it's happening. Plants are
> especially vulnerable to rapidly changing ecosystems, especially
> slow-growing plants with modest seed dispersal. Ginseng likes it cool.
> I've seen it grow best near the foot of a ridge, flushed with rain
> runoff. As the coves and hollows warm, the cooler zone moves higher
> towards the peak, plus it gets drier. Eventually, we run out of
> mountain. Animals and birds can migrate to the next ridge over, but
> how many of those will be passing ginseng seed?
>
> Deer. Many populations are out of whack. "Browse lines" are familiar
> to many or most of us, where there's nothing but thick woody stems
> below reaching height for a hungry deer. Not only forest-floor plants,
> but future generations of trees, are disappearing there.
>
> These factors make it critical to have protected areas for wild
> ginseng. Cultivated ginseng isn't the same. Commercial seed sources
> can be chemically dependent on pesticides after generations of
> cultivation. I grow wild simulated, but this is indeed simulated, not
> a distinctive population adapted to a locale over thousands of years
> (even if wild simulated does sell as "wild"). Ginseng has been shown
> to develop many isolated, genetically distinct populations. Each time
> we lose a bed, we could be losing the equivalent of an entire subspecies.
>
> These problems are beyond the scope of any single or easy solution,
> but we definitely need to protect as many wild populations as we can.
> Even from a commercial viewpoint, this makes sense, to maintain
> genetic diversity as insurance against blight and inbreeding.
> Traditional diggers who replant probably do more than anyone in this
> regard. The government is limited in what steps it can take, but it
> does have statutory responsibility in National Parks, as well as
> responsibility for the trade of endangered species per CITES. I've
> also heard horror stories from private landowner/growers who have had
> years of work dug up in a day, with very limited legal recourse. Maybe
> we could use more rights for small growers.
>
> What do folks think about instituting isolated, single-population
> ginseng growing refuges, clearly identified as to source and lineage?
> (similar to the seed bank Marla proposes on change.org
> <http://change.org>) This would be an active step beyond the necessary
> but somewhat passive protection of wild populations. I tend to buy
> seed from a single grower, but I have mixed some seed from another source.
>
> Bob, for some reason I didn't see your letter in your post, the
> attachment may not have survived the digest format.
>
> Mike Schenk
>
> PS: Let's not point fingers about the video, after all this is
> "television journalism" - low info content, short attention span, high
> drama. 'Nuff said <grin>.
>
> >
> >Today's Topics:
> >
> > 1. ginseng in the news (Susan Leopold)
> > 2. Re: ginseng in the news (Colin Donohue)
> > 3. Re: ginseng in the news (Michael McGuffin)
> >
> >
> >----------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >Message: 1
> >Date: Thu, 5 Sep 2013 17:15:39 -0400
> >From: Susan Leopold
> >To: mpwg
> >Subject: [MPWG] ginseng in the news
> >Message-ID:
> > <5DE76C5A-A955-4B6D-BCC9-A93B83BEB7CB at unitedplantsavers.org
> <mailto:5DE76C5A-A955-4B6D-BCC9-A93B83BEB7CB at unitedplantsavers.org>>
> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
> >
> >United Plant Savers has started a change.org <http://change.org>
> letter to bring awareness to our members and the public and to show
> various agencies that the public cares and supports ginseng
> conservation efforts....
> >
> >Below is a link to the CBS story and to our change.org
> <http://change.org> letter, also you can go to the UpS website
> www.unitedplantsavers.org <http://www.unitedplantsavers.org> for links
> to several recent news articles and ginseng recently published research.
> >
> >Please join this campaign: http://chn.ge/15Eon5H
> >
> >
> >
> >http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505269_162-57601454/ginseng-poaching-threatens-survival-of-plant-species/
> >
> >Susan Leopold, PhD
> >Executive Director, UpS
> >703-667-0208 <tel:703-667-0208>
> >susan at unitedplantsavers.org <mailto:susan at unitedplantsavers.org>
> >
>
>
>
>
>
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>
>
> --
>
> James B. McGraw
>
> Eberly Professor of Biology
>
>
>
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> Disclaimer
> Any advice given on this list regarding diagnosis or treatments etc. reflects ONLY the opinion of the individual who posts the message. The information contained in posts is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice relative to your specific medical condition or question. All medical and other healthcare information that is discussed on this list should be carefully reviewed by the individual reader and their qualified healthcare professional. Posts do not reflect any official opinions or positions of the Plant Conservation Alliance.
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