LTREB: Population Growth and Viability of American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.)

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American ginseng is a widespread but uncommon understory herb of the eastern deciduous forest. Ginseng is America's premier wild harvested medicinal plant species, annually worth millions of dollars in supplemental income to thousands of rural Appalachian diggers. The wild harvest supplies Asian market demand for the plant's putative broad-spectrum herbal properties. Recent medical research suggests that ginseng may treat diabetes, lower obesity, and boost the immune system. Conservation of natural ginseng populations is mandated by its listing on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Appendix II, however detailed demographic data are needed to place management of the species on solid scientific ground. The proposed LTREB project will extend long-term, detailed censusing and demographic modeling of 30 geographically distributed populations of ginseng containing an aggregate of more than 4000 individuals. This project will provide crucial information about how perturbations in the environment affect the long-term prognosis for wild ginseng populations. This analysis will be shared with three stakeholder groups with strong interests in ginseng conservation biology: other scientists, managers/policymakers, and the general public. A conservation fellowship will be created for a Ph.D. student to train them in data curation, population matrix modeling, and outreach. A second graduate student and two undergraduate interns will receive summer support to assist with the project.