Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506, USA.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2013 May;1286:62-91. doi: 10.1111/nyas.12032. Epub 2013 Feb 11.
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) is an uncommon to rare understory plant of the eastern deciduous forest. Harvesting to supply the Asian traditional medicine market made ginseng North America's most harvested wild plant for two centuries, eventually prompting a listing on CITES Appendix II. The prominence of this representative understory plant has led to its use as a phytometer to better understand how environmental changes are affecting many lesser-known species that constitute the diverse temperate flora of eastern North America. We review recent scientific findings concerning this remarkable phytometer species, identifying factors through its history of direct and indirect interactions with humans that have led to the current condition of the species. Harvest, deer browse, and climate change effects have been studied in detail, and all represent unique interacting threats to ginseng's long-term persistence. Finally, we synthesize our current understanding by portraying ginseng's existence in thousands of small populations, precariously poised to either escape or be drawn further toward extinction by the actions of our own species.
西洋参（Panax quinquefolius L.）是一种稀有的林下植物，分布于美国东部落叶林。两百年来，为了供应亚洲传统医药市场，人们对其进行了大量采挖，最终导致其被列入《濒危野生动植物种国际贸易公约》附录Ⅱ。这种具有代表性的林下植物因其作为植物指示物种的重要性而受到关注，它可以帮助我们更好地了解环境变化对许多鲜为人知的物种的影响，这些物种构成了北美东部丰富多样的温带植物群。我们回顾了关于这种显著的指示物种的最新科学发现，确定了通过其与人类的直接和间接相互作用而导致其目前状况的因素。已经对采挖、鹿啃食和气候变化的影响进行了详细研究，所有这些因素都对西洋参的长期生存构成了独特的相互威胁。最后，我们通过描绘西洋参在成千上万的小种群中的存在来综合我们目前的认识，这些种群岌岌可危，要么通过我们人类的行为逃脱灭绝的命运，要么被进一步推向灭绝的边缘。
