Effects of Commercial Harvesting on Population Characteristics and Rhizome Yield of Anemone altaica

Abstract

Effects of Commercial Harvesting on Population Characteristics and Rhizome Yield of Anemone altaica. Commercial harvesting constitutes a direct threat to numerous non–timber forest products (NTFPs), but its ecological effects have not been well documented. Anemone altaica Fisch. ex C. A. Mey, a spring ephemeral plant found in temperate forests of Eurasia, is a traditional Chinese herb. Owing to medicinal value, its rhizomes have been harvested for commercial purposes in northwestern China for many years. This paper addresses the ecological effects of commercial harvesting on A. altaica populations under different harvest intensities. The results show that size–selective harvesting of rhizomes can increase population densities by asexual propagation. Currently, two– to three–year–old individuals derived from asexual propagation are the main targets of commercial harvesting. The increased demand in recent years has resulted in earlier and more intensive harvesting activities largely impacting the natural recovery of the harvested populations. For sustainable use of this traditional medicinal species, we recommend that a periodic harvest strategy of three to four years be adopted.

商业性采集对阿尔泰银莲花种群特征及根状茎产量的影响

对许多非木材林产品而言,商业性采集是导致其受威胁的直接因素之一,但目前商业性采集所产生的生态效应仅在少数植物中开展了一些研究。阿尔泰银莲花是广泛分布在欧洲和亚洲北部的一种早春多年生林下草本植物,其根状茎是一种重要的传统中药。由于其药用价值,阿尔泰银莲花根状茎在中国西北地区已经有多年的采集历史。本文对不同采集强度下商业性采集活动对阿尔泰银莲花的生态学效应进行了研究。 结果表明,选择性采集可以通过影响无性繁殖而增加其种群密度。通过根状茎所产生的个体经过2–3年的生长后,成为目前商业性采集的主要对象。近年来持续上升的市场需求导致采集时间提前、采集强度增加,进而严重影响到阿尔泰银莲花种群的恢复。为了持续利用这一传统药用植物,建议每一采集地可以采取每隔3–4年进行一次采集的间歇式采集方式。