Squirrels often gather hundreds of white spruce cones and store them in hiding spots so they have food throughout the winter months.
The Biology and Traditional Management of Devil's Club
Maintenance and investigation of a traditional medicinal plant
In recent years, the harvest of non-timber forest products, such as medicinal plants, has increased dramatically. Increasing demand from local and international markets is resulting in increased harvest of these forest plants. In particular, interest in Devil's Club has heightened dramatically among pharmaceutical companies. The roots of the plant are also often used by herbal companies as an inexpensive substitute for ginseng. Plants such as Devil's Club have traditionally been managed by First Nations groups, and these peoples have a long-term vested interest in these resources. Researchers from the University of Victoria, British Columbia, are aiming, by working with the Hupacasath (Opetchesaht) First Nation, to collect important biological data and document the traditional ecological knowledge that is vital in order to develop sound harvesting practices that are both culturally and ecologically sensitive.
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GF Research
