Critical Need for Conservation of American Ginseng.

American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a native American plant species that has been a valuable North American export since its discovery in the 1716.  Once common in hardwood forests throughout eastern North America, American ginseng is currently limited to small, fragmented populations.  Although American ginseng is successfully cultivated in shaded fields, the value of wild ginseng is at least 10 times more than cultivated ginseng.  Due to continuing harvest pressure and habitat destruction,  American ginseng is under substantial and imminent threat that is classified as moderate in severity and high in immediacy.  In order to protect wild ginseng populations the harvest and trade of ginseng is regulated by the US Fish and Wildlife Service but there are currently no genetic conservation programs for ginseng.  This presentation will propose a framework for in situ and ex situ conservation programs for wild and cultivated American ginseng based on current knowledge of American ginseng genetic, geographic, and phytochemical diversity.