Many West Virginians strolling through the woods of Appalachia either hunting or sightseeing have, no doubt, a great appreciation for the trees, plants and shrubs that surround them.
What they may not know, however, is that in these wilds exists one of the most diverse ecosystems in the worldsecond only to the tropics.
West Virginia University professors know the area is incredibly rich in species. And those same professors are bringing their research and expertise into a collaborative effort with two other universities in a proposed center for research and development of medicinal plants.
The collaboration, The Appalachian Center for Ethnobotanical Studies, was formed two years ago to focus research on native plant species and their medicinal uses, and recently secured its first major federal funding$300,000 for initial studies from the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Bill.
Along with the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute and Frostburg State University, WVU joined the initiative to investigate the health benefits of the Appalachian regions herbal medicinal plants.
The research will focus on the Central Appalachian region covering West Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
This research is relevant to all residents of the state, so its a natural for the University,said Brent Bailey, research assistant professor in the WVU Department of Biology.
WVU has been researching uses, harvests and distributions of medicinal plants like ginseng, block cohosh and goldenseal. WVU s contribution to the center will be the study of sustainability of harvest.
James McGraw, Eberly Professor of Biology at WVU , has researched the conservation of wild harvested species, particularly ginseng.
The raw materials for genetic studies of herbal plants come from the wild,Dr. McGraw said.If we drive those to extinction through poor resource management, they are lost forever. There is also direct economic benefit to West Virginia as Appalachian harvesters rely on sustainability.
For example, ginseng has gnarly roots whose touted medicinal qualities range from improving mental performance to being a cure-all. Asians have sworn by these medicinal qualities for centuries, and the high demand for ginseng in that corner of the world has made it a cash crop in Appalachia. More than 10,000 West Virginians go into the woods each fall to find ginseng to sell; for some, the harvests provide an important income supplement.
While WVU contributes in the area of plant sustainability, UMBI will explore the marketability of patented compounds and Frostburg State brings a cultural background to the practice of harvest.
Thus, the importance of WVU s role in the effort. Without sustainability, there will be no compounds to market.
Approximately 25 medicinal plants grow in the area, according to the researchers, yet their potential remains untapped.
We dont have a manufacturing plant. We dont have a tea company. We dont have anything in this region, but we should,said Jennie Hunter-Cevera, UMBI president. Hunter-Cevera is familiar with WVU , earning a bachelors degree in biology and a masters degree in microbiology from the Morgantown institution.
The initial funding was secured by U.S. Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Paul Sarbanes, both from Maryland.