Impact of replanting on regeneration of the medicinal plantNardostachys grandiflora DC. (Valerianaceae)

Commercial collection of alpine medicinal plants in Nepal is widely believed to destroy the resource base. This study explores the impact of three different collection methods on the regeneration of a frequently collected and traded plant species, Nardostachys grandiflora DC (Valerianaceae), listed in CITES Appendix II. The collected product is the plant rhizome from which essential oil is extracted. An experiment with 209 2X2 m plots on both south- and north-facing slopes of a valley in Gorkha District was conducted over two years. Harvesting 100% of the plants in plots followed by replanting of upper plant parts and 2 cm of the rhizome provided the fastest regeneration and rhizome biomass growth.