RH Wildcrafting & Sustainable Harvesting 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which ethical wildcrafting guideline is commonly called the '1-in-10' or 'one in ten' rule?
- Harvest from every tenth plant you find
- Leave at least 90% of a plant population unharvested (Correct answer)
- Return to a patch every ten years
- Plant ten seeds for every root you harvest
Correct answer: Leave at least 90% of a plant population unharvested
The 1-in-10 rule states that wildcrafters should leave at least 90% of any wild plant population undisturbed to maintain reproductive viability.
Question 2: Why is harvesting from roadsides and highway verges generally discouraged for medicinal use?
- Plant density is too low to be efficient
- Plants accumulate heavy metals, herbicides, and exhaust pollutants (Correct answer)
- Roadside plants are usually non-native invasives
- Road noise stresses plants and reduces alkaloid content
Correct answer: Plants accumulate heavy metals, herbicides, and exhaust pollutants
Roadside plants readily absorb lead, cadmium, glyphosate, and other pollutants, making them unsafe for medicinal preparations.
Question 3: When wildcrafting bark, which harvesting method best protects the tree's survival?
- Girdling the trunk to access maximum bark
- Harvesting bark from small branches rather than the main trunk (Correct answer)
- Removing bark in a continuous ring around the trunk
- Harvesting the entire trunk bark in early spring
Correct answer: Harvesting bark from small branches rather than the main trunk
Removing bark from branches rather than the main trunk avoids girdling, which interrupts the phloem and kills the tree.
Question 4: Which federal law most directly regulates wildcrafting on National Forest lands in the US?
- Endangered Species Act (ESA)
- National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
- National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and accompanying permit systems (Correct answer)
- Clean Water Act (CWA)
Correct answer: National Forest Management Act (NFMA) and accompanying permit systems
The National Forest Management Act governs commercial and large-scale personal harvest on National Forest lands, often requiring free-use or commercial permits.
Question 5: A wildcrafting student finds a large stand of a target herb but notices most plants are in full flower. What is the BEST course of action?
- Harvest immediately since the stand is abundant
- Wait until seeds have set and dispersed before harvesting (Correct answer)
- Harvest only the flowering tops to encourage regrowth
- Return in two weeks when flowering peaks
Correct answer: Wait until seeds have set and dispersed before harvesting
Allowing plants to set and disperse seed before harvesting ensures the next generation is established, maintaining the population's long-term viability.
Question 6: What is the primary purpose of keeping a wildcrafting journal with GPS coordinates and population notes?
- To comply with US Fish & Wildlife Service reporting requirements
- To track population health over seasons and avoid over-harvesting the same patch (Correct answer)
- To register harvest sites with state herbalists associations
- To map invasive species for eradication programs
Correct answer: To track population health over seasons and avoid over-harvesting the same patch
A detailed wildcrafting journal allows herbalists to monitor population trends, rotate harvesting sites, and detect decline before it becomes critical.
Question 7: Which soil disturbance practice is considered MOST harmful when harvesting wild roots?
- Using a hand trowel instead of a digging stick
- Leaving the harvest hole open and unfilled (Correct answer)
- Harvesting in autumn after aerial parts die back
- Replanting root crown sections after harvest
Correct answer: Leaving the harvest hole open and unfilled
Leaving holes unfilled exposes neighboring root systems, causes erosion, and creates microhabitat disruption that harms surrounding plants and soil organisms.
RH Wildcrafting & Sustainable Harvesting 2
Which ethical wildcrafting guideline is commonly called the '1-in-10' or 'one in ten' rule?