The ecological impact of harvesting non-timber forest products could result in long-term, and perhaps permanent decline in biological diversity. Current scientific knowledge cannot adequately determine sustainable harvest levels. Base line inventory data, as well as regular monitoring of populations are essential in developing sustainable forest management strategies. Research is needed to examine and determine the effects of harvesting on local plant populations, as well as the impact on associated forest ecosystems. Current supplies, as well as regeneration rates are key elements in determining sustainable harvest levels.

The overall purpose of this study is to improve the understanding of inventorying, manipulating, and regenerating non-timber forest products found in riparian zones. This will require a phased approach of data collection and analysis. Through this project, we will test inventory protocols for various non-timber forest products. Further, we will examine the impact of various management approaches to better understand the affect they have on regeneration. Finally, we will focus on a variety of techniques to restore the plant populations, affected by harvesting.

Phase one of this project focuses on an inventory of available resources. Our intention is to increase understanding of the vegetative structure of the riparian zone, in particular the diversity and availability of non-timber products. Our objectives during this phase are to determine the non-timber products available along the riparian zones and to characterize the vegetation type by describing the diversity of plants found in the riparian zones. Further, we will quantify the amount of products available in each category (e.g., medicinal, edible, floral), comparing methods for estimating non-timber forest products. For example, the protocol of a harvest rotation inventory study undertaken by members of the Plant Conservation Committee of the Medicinal Plant Working Group, that includes the National Forests of North Carolina, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Garden Club of America, called for a census of Black and Yellow cohosh (Actaea racemosa and A. podocarpa, respectively). For products that require harvesting below ground biomass, we will look for relationships between above and below ground biomass.

In phase two we will examine management options and their impact on product availability. The fundamental purpose of this phase is to explore the effects of various management approaches on species of interest and related species. Harvesting NTFPs will be, necessarily, coordinated with timber harvesting activities. In phase two, we will test various levels of extraction of non-timber forest products to ascertain affects on regeneration rates. We envision a control where no harvesting is done, harvesting NTFPs prior to, or in conjunction with timber, harvesting NTFPs separate from timber (without timber harvesting), and harvesting at several levels of intensity (e.g., 25, 50, 100 percent).

During phase three we will examine techniques to regenerate sites impacted from harvesting, as well as observe natural regeneration The purpose of this phase is to test various methods of restoring areas where non-timber forest products have been heavily extracted. Our intention during this phase is to determine appropriate regeneration techniques for the non-timber forest products identified in the riparian zone. These may include planting seed, root stock, or other forms of germplasm. Also, we will examine regeneration under a management regime with and without timber harvesting.

Through this effort, we expect to improve the body of knowledge concerning the inventory of non-timber forest products. Further, the study will provide valuable insight into the impact of harvesting on NTFP populations. Finally, the study will help clarify options of restoring sites that have been over-harvested. Although, we have outlined a three phase, three-year effort, we expect that this study will be implemented over a much longer horizon. It is only through a much longer timeframe that questions about long-term interactions and dynamics can be addressed. This type of long-term study is greatly needed to advance the science of NTFP management.

Cooperators

• SRS-4351, Watershed Responses, Franklin, NC
• SRS-4101, Southern Appalachian Forests, Asheville, NC
• National Forests of North Carolina