CRDF

MBG and The Georgian Academy of Sciences (GAS) are collaborating on a U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF) funded project based in the Republic of Georgia to study the distribution and conservation status of some of the country’s most threatened endemic medicinal plants. The project has been active since 2002, with funding extended to 2006.

In year one, GAS botanists compiled a list of all the medicinal plants species known in Georgia. For each species, herbarium research and literature reviews, in conjunction with field investigations, were conducted on present and historical distributions, population size and rates of harvest. These methods resulted in a list of 43 target species selected for further study based on findings of an urgent need for conservation attention.

MBG and GAS botanists conducted field surveys of target species and collected live material for propagation to support ex situ conservation and possible reintroduction into the wild. During the course of fieldwork, interviews with local people revealed traditional uses of several species previously undocumented in the literature.

The conservation status of each species was determined using IUCN risk assessment criteria in conjunction with GIS analysis. Based on data from georeferenced collections, IUCN Red List categories were assigned.

A booklet entitled “Endemic Medicinal Plants of Georgia” was completed in early 2004 and lists each target species together with a GIS-generated distribution map, color photograph, taxonomic description, notes on traditional and modern medicinal use, ecological notes, active medicinal compounds and Red List categories.

Goals for years two and three focus on community education in the Republic of Georgia on medicinal plant resources, in situ conservation methods for reintroduction of the most threatened species, and establishment of community medicinal plant gardens to reduce the threat to wild populations. The establishment of the Caucasus Regional Seed Bank, a plant genetic resource center for storing seeds of threatened medicinal plants, will be integral to the project.