The prairie turnip paradox: contributions of population dynamics, ethnobotany, and community ecology to understanding Pediomelum esculentum root harvest on the Great Plains

Abstract

Pediomelum esculentum (Pursh) Rydberg (Fabaceae), an edible plant native to North American prairies, has a long history of wild harvest. Wild-harvested plants are increasingly of conservation concern, yet demographic data needed to assess the sustainability of harvest are unavailable for most species. Methods used by harvesters and responses to harvest are rarely incorporated into demographic studies. Several of the species' traits, including wide-ranging disperse populations, longevity, and cryptic life stages, make it difficult to accurately monitor population dynamics. However, because the species shares these traits with many wild-harvested species of conservation concern, P. esculentum makes a good test cast for combining ethnobotanical infomation with ecological models.