John A. Young sampling American ginseng for genetic analysis. Photo credit: Mike Eackles, USGS Leetown Science Center

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is a perennial herb that is harvested for the purported medicinal qualities of its root.  Harvest and export of ginseng roots to Asia has long been a source of supplementary income for people living in the Appalachian Mountains, but recent increases in the market value of American ginseng roots have intensified legal (and illegal) harvest pressure.  Concerns of possible over-harvest led to listing of American ginseng in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).  Under CITES, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Division of Scientific Authority (DSA) must determine whether the export of American ginseng will be detrimental to the survival of the species, and whether wild-harvest is sustainable. American ginseng is also cultivated in woodlands, but it is unclear what effect this “wild-simulated” ginseng is having on native populations.

Little quantitative demographic data exists for American ginseng, and little is known about its population characteristics in relation to harvest levels.  Scientists at the USGS Leetown Science Center have developed geospatial models that predict the distribution of habitats suitable for American ginseng, and these models were used to provide the DSA with estimates of population status and harvest pressure in the core of its range.  Currently, we are expanding our studies to be nearly inclusive of the entire range of American ginseng within the U.S., and we are collecting plant material to determine the genetic variability of the species.  We are developing microsatellite DNA markers to identify and map the genetic variation of American ginseng within and among sites.  The demographic, habitat, and genetic data provided by this project should greatly improve the information available to USFWS for determining the status and protection needs of this species.

For more information, contact John A. Young, Leetown Science Center.