American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) in Pennsylvania: Surveying wild supply chains and wild population monitoring

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is a Pennsylvania-listed (i.e., ‘vulnerable’) and internationally protected (under the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora or CITES) native forest plant that is exported for medicinal markets. The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR) is charged with conserving and managing this native forest resource and yet little information exists regarding ginseng supply chains within the state. This study utilized an experimental approach to gather information over a five-year period (2012-2016) from this secretive industry by annually mailing a short survey instrument to root sellers using names and addresses gathered annually from dealer transaction logs. The primary purpose of this survey was to solicit information from sellers about the source of ginseng that they sold to licensed buyers in Pennsylvania. Additional questions sought to provide clarity around seller motivations and root “holding-over” practices to better understand the year-to-year variation in reported exports.

WRCP

WRCP

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Pennsylvania State University