[MPWG] Fwd: AHPA Update: AHPA-ERB Foundation to fund multi-year osha sustainability study

[De Angelis, Patricia]

Forwarding this exciting news about a three-year study being funded by the
American Herbal Products Association-Education and Research on Botanicals
Foundation to explore the sustainable harvest of the U.S. native medicinal
plant *Ligusticum porteri *(wild osha).

Many involved in this undertaking are well-known among the medicinal plant
conservation community.  Among them, Botanical Liaisons' Trish Flaster who,
as Chair of the MPWG Conservation Committee, coordinated osha inventory and
harvest studies beginning more than ten years ago in the Rio Grande
National Forest.  With citizen scientists from the Garden Club of America
and the assistance of the Desert Botanic Garden, among others, research
teams endured treacherous field conditions and fierce storms to gather
information on osha's response to harvest in the wild:
http://www.nps.gov/plants/medicinal/projects/colorado.htm

It will be great to see the results of the AHPA-ERB research!
-Patricia

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: AHPA <ahpa at ahpa.org>
Date: Tue, Apr 29, 2014 at 10:40 AM
Subject: AHPA Update: AHPA-ERB Foundation to fund multi-year osha
sustainability study



   *AHPA-ERB Foundation to fund multi-year osha sustainability study*



The American Herbal Products Association Foundation for Education and
Research on Botanicals (AHPA-ERB Foundation) has committed to funding a
multi-year study on the sustainability of harvesting wild osha (*Ligusticum
porteri*) by Kelly Kindscher, Ph.D., a scientist and professor at the
University of Kansas.



AHPA has tracked the annual harvest quantities of osha and several other
North American native species since 1999. The current research will add to
this existing knowledge by evaluating the effects that harvest of the roots
of osha, a perennial plant, has on populations where harvests occurs.



The research <http://www.ahpafoundation.org/Osha.html> is a collaborative
effort by the University of Kansas, the Missouri Botanical Garden, the U.S.
Forest Service, and the AHPA-ERB Foundation to determine the impact of
current wild harvesting practices on osha populations, the rate of
regeneration, and the optimal harvest practices needed to maintain the
long-term viability of this species.



In September 2012, the AHPA-ERB Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to study
osha sustainability and Dr. Kindscher produced an initial report, "Harvest
Sustainability Study of Wild Populations of
Osha<http://www.ahpa.org/Portals/0/AHPA_Osha_Sustainability_First_Year_report.pdf>."
This report highlighted the need for a multi-year study to monitor regrowth
and estimate the resiliency or susceptibility of osha to different harvest
pressures. In March 2014, the foundation committed an additional $10,000
annually for three years to complete the study.



The AHPA-ERB Foundation encourages interested individuals and
companies to  contribute
funds <http://www.ahpafoundation.org/Osha.html> to finance the study. Current
supporters include Ms. Jackie Greenfield, Botanical Liaisons LLC, Gaia
Herbs, Herbs Etc., Mountain Rose Herbs, and Vitality Works.



"Osha's medicinal properties and historical significance make it a valuable
North American plant," said AHPA-ERB Foundation Chair Beth Lambert.
"Because osha is difficult to cultivate and has a limited range within a
sensitive environment, we need to learn more about how to protect these
populations and support healthy regeneration rates."



*About the AHPA-ERB Foundation*
The American Herbal Products Association (AHPA) established the AHPA
Foundation for Education and Research on Botanicals (the AHPA-ERB
Foundation) as a 501(c)(3) foundation for the purpose of promoting
education and research on medicinal, therapeutic, and health-promoting
herbs. Additional information is available at http://www.ahpafoundation.org/



*STUDY CONTACT:* Dr. Maged Sharaf <msharaf at ahpa.org>, Chief Science Officer
- 301.588.1171 ext. 103

American Herbal Products Association | 8630 Fenton St. | Suite 918 | Silver
Spring | MD | 20910
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