SCI Alternative Summer Break – RU students and faculty conduct research with the US Forest Service on Appalachian Medicinal Plants

In June 2016, 15 Radford University students worked with Dr. Christine Small (Biology) and Dr. Jim Chamberlain and Matt Winn (USDA Forest Service) to conduct research on sustainable management of black cohosh in George Washington-Jefferson National Forests. Black cohosh is a native plant harvested extensively from Appalachian forests and sold worldwide for medicinal uses. This research was supported by grants from the RU Scholar Citizen Initiative (SCI) and the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station.

Photos below: Student researchers harvesting roots and rhizomes of black cohosh, the part of the plant containing medicinal compounds. Data will be used to develop predictive models for root and rhizome biomass, to assist the Forest Service in developing conservation and sustainable management plans.