Due to the plethora of stressors that negatively affect medicinal plants in Appalachia (McGraw et al. 2013), conservation action must be taken to ensure that these valuable plants survive for future generations. As medicinal plant species, especially ginseng, are of cultural and economic importance in Appalachia (Hufford 2002) they can be used to focus land management strategies. Indeed, ginseng can be described as a ‘cultural keystone species’ (Garibaldi & Turner 2004) as this plant is an economically valuable resource in Appalachia (Turner and Skoff, in prep) and a large component of the culture of NTFP harvest in this region (Turner et al., in prep). Additionally, ginseng is an important link in the food chain of the eastern deciduous
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The results from Chapter 2 indicate that harvest culture is one worth saving, as harvesters prioritize the forest beyond economic reasons, specifically as they enjoy time outdoors. This was also seen in Bailey’s dissertation (1999). Chapter 2’s results determined that the general (non-harvester) West Virginia community is more likely to value the forest for economic reasons. Since there is a difference in the priorities of harvesters and the general West Virginian community, non-profit organizations or government agencies can use the results of Chapter 2 to develop effective educational outreach materials for land-managers about how a diverse forest can be financially profitable, as seen in the results of Chapter 3. Chapter 3 shows that sustainable harvest of stewarded wild ginseng, or the harvest of cultivated ginseng from a farm, can provide substantial economic value to a plot of land. The monetary value from the renewable resource of medicinal plant harvest is comparable to the value a landowner would obtain from surface mining royalties. However, developing outreach about the economic benefits of ginseng conservation to the West Virginia community may be easier than connecting with and reaching the secretive harvesting community. Reaching harvesters and encouraging positive change and sustainable legal harvest may be more
The results from Chapter 2 indicate that harvest culture is one worth saving, as harvesters prioritize the forest beyond economic reasons, specifically as they enjoy time outdoors. This was also seen in Bailey’s dissertation (1999). Chapter 2’s results determined that the general (non-harvester) West Virginia community is more likely to value the forest for economic reasons. Since there is a difference in the priorities of harvesters and the general West Virginian community, non-profit organizations or government agencies can use the results of Chapter 2 to develop effective educational outreach materials for land-managers about how a diverse forest can be financially profitable, as seen in the results of Chapter 3. Chapter 3 shows that sustainable harvest of stewarded wild ginseng, or the harvest of cultivated ginseng from a farm, can provide substantial economic value to a plot of land. The monetary value from the renewable resource of medicinal plant harvest is comparable to the value a landowner would obtain from surface mining royalties. However, developing outreach about the economic benefits of ginseng conservation to the West Virginia community may be easier than connecting with and reaching the secretive harvesting community. Reaching harvesters and encouraging positive change and sustainable legal harvest may be more