Knowledge and Management Local of the Royal Fern [Osmunda Northern regalis in Spain: Implications L.) for Biodiversity Conservation Maria Molina Institute Madrileno de Investigacion y DesarroUo Rural, Agrario y Alimentario, Apdo. 127, 28800 Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain, email: [email protected] Victoria Reyes-Garcia ICREA and Institut de Ciencia Tecnologia Ambientals, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, i 08193 Bellatera, Barcelona, Spain, email: [email protected] Manuel Pardo-de-Santayana Departamento de Biologi'a (Botanica). Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, c/ Darwin Campus de 2. Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain, email: [email protected] Centre Pharmacognosy and The for Phytotherapy, School of Pharmacy, University of London, WClN UK 29-39 Brunswick Square, London lAX, Ferns have been employed wide for a variety of medicinal uses Boom, (e.g., Chang known 1985; Macia. 2004; 2007) but on et the sustainability al., little is of fern exploitation. Monitoring and wild regulating plant harvesting can contribute to biodiversity conservation and multifunctional manage- forest ment through community-based strategies that take into account the knowledge and and interests of harvesters users (Alcorn, 1993; Berkes, 2004; Moller et al, 2004; Larsen and Olsen, 2007). The proximity of customary users AMERICAN VOLUME NUMBER FERN JOURNAL: 99 1 (2009) When to the resource facilitates their monitoring of the species. harvesters detect signals of declining resource levels, the impact of harvesting could be regulated by decreasing the rates and quantities extracted and by limiting the areas of plant exploitation. wild populations cannot meet harvester demand, If cultivation can be the solution for avoiding overexploitation. In developed countries, gathering wild herbs medicinal purposes for is still although no widespread Wild practiced, is longer a practice (Rigat et al, 2007). plants collected medicinal purposes include weeds Malva for sylvestris (e.g., common and L.) other species such as Rosmarinus officinalis L. (Pardo-de- Santayana and Morales, and mainly performed 2005), collection is for domestic consumption. Research shows that the collection of medicinal plants developed some and done in countries also affects scarce plants also is for commercial purposes. Since the harvesting of wild medicinal plants in developed countries not strictly regulated, the gathering and commercial- is which hampers ization of these species are difficult to track, the ability to predict situations of overexploitation (Lange, 1998). we Here [Osmunda study the harvesting of the royal fern regalis L., Osmundaceae), subcosmopolitan widely some a fern distributed in tropical and temperate regions. The royal fern a predominantly western and southern is species within Europe grows wetland (Page, 1996). in habitats of north, It middle, and west areas of the Iberian Peninsula, where mainly confined to is it riverbanks (Fig. la), especially in Atlantic alder groves [Alnus glutinosa (L.) The Gaertn.) royal fern has a long history of medicinal use Culpeper, (e.g., 1653; Austin, 2004). In the north of Spain (Galicia, Asturias, and Cantabria), known the fern, locally as antojil, has traditionally been employed to set broken bones, mitigate muscular ache, and treat muscle-skeletal, respiratory, and digestive disorders. Locally, the fern prepared by maceration of the is middle part of the rhizome with white wine. made and into a bitter is It known mucilaginous beverage as 'antojil wine' (Molina, 2006) (Fig. lb,c). Osmunda modern regalis not listed in Pharmacopoeias Real Farm- is (e.g., acopea Espaiiola, 3rd ed. 2005; European Pharmacopoeia, 6th ed. 2007) or ESCOP, phytotherapy books Vanaclocha and scientific 2003; Caiiigueral, (e.g., 2003), but Spanish regional administrations recognize that the species is gathered be used medicine both domestic consumption and to as for small- scale marketing (Gobierno de Cantabria, 2005). some In regions of Spain Catalonia, Basque Country, and Castilla-La (i.e., Mancha), and O. regalis rare therefore catalogued as threatened is is (i.e., and Devesa and 'strictly protected', 'rare', 'of special interest' respectively; where Ortega, 2004). In other regions, the species has a larger range but is still abundant not Cantabria, Asturias; Loriente, 1999), harvesting not (e.g., its is regulated. we knowledge and In this research, assess individual practices related the to Osmunda medicinal management, and commercialization use, of regalis in a where region harvesting not regulated (Cantabria, Spain). Assessing its is knowledge and individual level variation in practices of a wild medicinal plant can help predict future harvesting trends. MOLINA OSMUNDA ET BEGAUS NORTHERN SPAIN AL.: IN Methods We carried out five ethnobotanical from August 2005 fieldtrips April to We conducted 2006. semi-structured interviews obtain information on to local knowledge and practices regarding medicinal uses {including processing (1) and and administration) commercialization and of O. regalis identification, (2) and harvesting habitat, practices. We used quota sampling a strategy to select informants of different age and from and urban who know sex, rural areas. People did not any medicinal use of We were the fern not included in the study. used snowball sampling contact to hard-to-find key informants such and Our as sellers gatherers (Bernard, 2006). final sample included 50 adults from 21 The sample included men localities. women and (66%) (34%) between 30 and 90 years of age (avg= 53 years, SD=17.14). Thirty six percent of the informants lived in localities with over 22% km 10,000 inhabitants (urban); lived in villages than 20 from at less the nearest urban settlement and 42% (nearby-rural); lived in villages farther than km 20 from the nearest urban settlement (faraway-rural). To analyze the individual knowledge and differences in practices of O. we regalis, divided informants into five categories: A. Passive knowledge who knew holder: Informants at least one medicinal use of O. regalis, but who had never used Non who the species; B. collector-consumer: Informants had used had the species, but never collected or prepared by themselves; C. it who Collector-consumer: Informants had collected or prepared the species for domestic but not commercial purposes; who for D. Collector-seller: Informants had collected or prepared the species with commercial purposes; Non E. who had collector-seller: Informants commercialized had wine', but 'antojil never harvested or processed the plant. — As Local knowledge. in other regions, in Cantabria, antojil has been employed traditionally for muscle-skeletal disorders (100% of the informants mentioned this use-category), including bone fractures, osteoporosis and bone and such decalcification (62%), joint vertebral disorders as rheumatic, arthritic, arthrosic or back pain (26%), traumatic injuries such as bruises, dislocations, or sprains (16%) and muscular injuries or pains (4%). The bone category 'unspecified disorders' (48%) includes muscle-skeletal condi- tions that were not specifically described by informants. also used as It is and tonic, against rickets, digestive respiratory disorders (Table Moreover, 1). 26% of informants reported the veterinary use of antojil for setting bone and broken fractures horns. cultural relevance reflected in the local Its is legend can meat was that says stick together a piece of that previously cut in it small pieces. Informants (16%) reported that they had successfully used the fern after therapies prescribed by doctors had Although most doctors do failed. 6% not approve the use of the herbal remedy, of the interviewees said that recommend there are doctors that even for bone regeneration. Additionally a it few informants (10%) reported that other healthcare professionals such as ostheopaths, medical and assistants, physiotherapists traditional healers recognize the healing virtues of antojil. made most remedy In Cantabria, the usual out of O. regalis antojil wine, is which remedy made The the only out of antojil that commercialized. is is preparation must be drunk daily before breakfast until the patient has drunk one or two 750 ml bottles, although chronic patients take for years. Antojil it wine mainly consumed by men. intake not recommended pregnant is Its is for women women 18% and and mentioned remedy of childbearing age that the is considered They you consume wine abortive. said that antojil "the fetus if womb womb", sticks to the or "does not allow the to distend during birth". Moreover girls should not take the remedy since said that the "pelvis is it Among could weld before should". men, wine mainly consumed by antojil it is sportsmen and the elderly. Osmunda consumed towns and regalis in rural areas but also in is cities. Most people in our sample that had used the remedy did not know how to The demand wine prepare antojil wine. for antojil has led to small-scale MOLINA OSMUNDA ET REGALIS NORTHERN AL.: IN SPAIN informal marketing that originated at least 25 years ago. Antojil wine is commercialized through two Some different channels. people buy remedy the who from directly the villagers gather the plant and remedy elaborate the at home. The remedy can also be obtained in herbal shops or street-markets in However, wine cities. antojil not a licensed product and some is sellers are concerned about its marketing. In fact, two herbal shop sellers reported that they did not commercialize remedy the for this reason. Harvesting practices.—Interviewees mentioned grows that O. regalis in small stream banks, rocky and and steep slopes, in north-facing places. According to informants, the rhizome from a mature specimen can measure up A cm new rhizome to 8 long. takes about 10 years to regenerate harvesting if is not destructive, cutting without uprooting the whole rhizome. Informants i.e. knew that the fern not abundant As many 36% is in the region. as of the informants associated the scarcity of the fern with bad harvesting and practices overexploitation. Several informants (12%) reported abundance also that the of had the species declined over the decades. last In the study region, the rhizome is mainly harvested in remote zones and only by men. The rhizome harvested during the dormant between is season, November and January, using a hoe. Four harvesters reportedly know how to collect the rhizome without Four killing the plant. informants told us that is it prohibited to gather the species, although no law regulates collection in its Cantabria. Because of the perceived scarcity of the fern, rural habitants have developed management local practices that contribute the conservation to of management the species. Local practices include harvesting without (Ij uprooting the whole rhizome, allow to plant restoration, not sharing (2) harvesting locations to avoid their destruction and preserve them to for later harvest, harvesting from the neighboring province where (3) of Asturias the more fern abundant, and is cultivating the fern in home-gardens. Although (4) only one informant grew the fern in his garden, eight interviewees said that knew they people that cultivated it. Informant's distribution in the plant exploitation network.—Move than half of the interviewees (54%) had only knowledge passive about medicinal the knew uses of antojil, they about medicinal had i.e. antojil's properties, but never consumed, The collected, or sold category (Fig. of 'passive it 2). knowledge holder' included male and female informants from the three different settlement origins, mainly within the 41-50 age group Only (Fig. 3). four of the 27 'passive knowledge holders' knew how to identify the plant and could be considered potential harvesters (Table 2). The 46% remaining of informants were involved in the plant exploitation network consumers, 22% as harvesters, or sample sellers: of the in the fell 4% category 'collector-consumers', 14% in the category 'collector-sellers', in 6% the category 'non and collector-seller', in the category 'non-collector All the informants in the two categories consumers of ('collector-consumers' and 'non collectors-consumers') were from rural origins 'Non- (Fig. 4, 5). collector consumers' were mainly nearby-rurals ranging between 40 and 70 AMERICAN FERN VOLUME NUMBER JOURNAL: 99 1 (2009) Passive knowledge ^^^S^^Ssss^ 1=1 x-"""" ' ' 4% Non C collector-cons , ^^^^^^n Collector-consume years of age (avg= 55 whereas were mainly years) 'collector-consumers' faraway-rurals and elders (avg= 67 years). Collectors showed the highest knowledge about the ecological characteristics of the plant. 18% Sellers represented of the informants and lived in urban settings (Fig. 6, 7). Fourteen percent of sellers were 'non collector-sellers', a group that included herbal shop and street-market The group included young sellers. women We only interviewed two both (Fig. 'collector-sellers', 7). i who owners, had key a role in the trading circuit. 'Collector-sellers' extensive local knowledge of the fern and a wide customer They net. i mailed the product to other provinces (Table 2). Discussion We organize the discussion around two main topics that emerge from our we findings. First, discuss the persistence of the knowledge and medicinal use we of a wild species. Second, evaluate the distribution of harvesting and commercialization and practices of O. regalis implications for conservation. its Our data suggest that antojil wine commonly known and used in is still We where Cantabria considered highly remedy. found male it is a efficient that and female informants from origins and age groups reported knowing the all medicinal The young properties of O. regalis presence of informants, (Fig. 3). knowledge and especially in the categories 'passive holders' 'non-collector Fig. 3. Informant's distribution by sex, age group, and origin among 'passive knowledge holders'. Urb: urban; Nea: nearby-rural; Far: faraway-rural. AMERICAN FERN VOLUME NUMBER JOURNAL: 99 (2009] 1 % informants o% 20% 4o% 6o% 8o% 100% knowledge sellers' suggests that ethnobotanical of antojil not threatened. is Our finding meshes with previous studies in the region that describe the Chamaemelum marketing of other medicinal plants nobile and (i.e., (L) All. Sideritis hyssopifolia locally preferred pharmaceutical medicines (Pardo- L.) to The among de-Santayana, 2004). results also agree with research indigenous shows economy populations market that that not necessarily linked the to is loss of local knowledge of wild plants Zarger and Stepp, 2004; Reyes- (e.g., Garci'a et 2007). al., We who found most were that collectors people over 50 years of age lived in remote with villages in direct contact the resource (Fig. Besides collectors, 5). only four informants had the knowledge for harvesting the rhizome and Our preparing antojil wine. data also highlight that most sellers were young men women who and towns and knowledge living in lacked ecological cities of antojil (Fig. Consumers were from urban and nearby-rural origins and 7). generally also lacked the ecological knowledge of the plant. Our data suggest MOLINA OSMUNDA ET REGAUS NORTHERN AL.: IN SPAIN that urban consumption of might antojil increase over the next decades due to the development wide of a urban customer network and to the presence of an aging population. The dissociation between the consumption remedy of a made from an unprotected wild and plant the ecological knowledge of the plant might have important implications for the conservation of the species. Unaware of harvesting practices, urban consumers and do sellers not understand the risk of overexploitation associated with the rising demand. We found that all collectors expressed concern about the effects of destructive harvesting generated by demand. a rising Moreover, three 'collector consumers' expressed concern over the fact that some collectors and sellers are only driven by economic incentives and do not care about the sustainability of the resource. Informants perceive economic interests as a risk for anto/iTs conservation and for the quality of the marketed medicinal products because some traders are diluting antojil wine which might destroy the efficacy of the VOLUME NUMBER AMERICAN FERN JOURNAL: 99 1 (2009) remedy. The concerns expressed by informants are similar to those reported in when other case studies, the commercialization of a medicinal plant has lead Pardo-de-Santayana to overexploitation (Botha et al, 2004; et al, 2005). its knowledge and Results from this research suggest that local ecological and developed practices are alive in rural areas of countries, that local still harvesters are interested in the sustainable use of wild resources. This offers an opportunity design management programs where local people participate to and environmental actively encouraging the acceptance internalization of norms and Morales (Pardo-de-Santayana 2001). We We who knowledge and thank are grateful to all the people kindly shared their time. J. Morales, Gonzalez, Aceituno and two anonymous reviewers for revising and Tardi'o, R. S. L.