Development of the Yew Guide
Professor Gianluca Piovesan
Forest Ecologist at Tuscia University
Professor Gianlucca Piovesan is an esteemed forest ecologist and environmentalist. He has worked with the forest management and environmental planning of the Yew Species, including the Himalayan Yew.
Professor Piovesan helped us understand that our work was neccessary. Italy has seen firsthand the loss of their native yew trees as farmers were clearing yew forests due to their toxicity to livestock. This resulted in a loss of biodiversity as it was an important food source/habitat for native animals.
To prevent the same occuring in the Himalaya, as a consequence of exploiting the tree for it's resources, we contacted Professor Piovesan to help guide us on how to restore the tree. Together, we worked to adapt scientific methods such as stand management and increasing genetic diversity to a simple guide that can be used by communities in the Himalaya.
Integration
A few integrations we made into our program were:
- Ensuring forest stand structure is not disturbed through methods that can be replicated by these communities.
- Best practice methods to develop genetic diversity and resilience within the species. This included sourcing cuttings from the right trees, and cross breeding trees from different forest fragments.
- How to use vegetation science to find areas that will regenerate the Himalayan Yew quickly.
- Logging overstory hardwoods to provide more light for the understory Himalayan Yew.
Mr. David Mills
Wildlife botanist and author of the book and website "Wild Plants & Foods Home Garden"
We worked with David to adapt his years of working with the Taxus species and published books into a digestible and relevant program for the communities in the Himalaya. He was provided significant help in writing content and tips on how to sustainably regenerate and harvest the Yew Tree.
Integration
Extensive procedures on how to farm and harvest the yew tree. This included how to grow the tree from seeds, from cuttings, and how to cut and prune the Yew Tree so that it is not harmed in the process.
Dr. Ram Chandra Poudel
A Nepalese Native, who is a Senior Scientific officer at the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology.
As a molecular biotechnologist, who works on conservation genetics he was able to both understand our work, and why we were creating the program we were. Dr. Poudel was our bridge to the Himalaya, through relaying to us his work, conversations, and experience with these communities.
Overall, we were able to gain a better understanding of these communities we were trying to help. As a result, we could adapt our program to fit the climate, resources, desires and concerns of these communities.
Integration
Extensive procedures on how to farm and harvest the yew tree. This included how to grow the tree from seeds, from cuttings, and how to cut and prune the Yew Tree so that it is not harmed in the process.
- As these communities do not have access to a fridge during the germination stage of the seeds, we needed to figure out an alternative. Dr. Poudel recommended that communities have seen success packing the germinating seeds in wet sand underground during colder months at higher elevations.
- Incorporating the concerns of the community. As planting and harvesting the Himalayan Yew would only be done during periods where crops cannot grow, this would become their sole source of income during these periods. Hence, they would like to see more profitable strains of the plant. Plants that produce more leaves, or are hardier. Or, as recommended by Dr. Ram Chandra Poudel, strains fo Himalayan Yew that produce more Paclitaxel per gram of leaves.
- Recommendations on the best seasons to plant and grow the seeds in the Himalaya, which are between September and October in the Himalaya. The best seasons to harvest the tree were January and April.
- The best period to collect the seeds of Taxus forest in Nepal was between October-November.
- Encouraging the use of Rotex 3, a common plant rooting hormone used in the Himalayas that Dr. Poudel reccomended we include in the guide.
Professor Prem Lal Uniyal and Dr. Prabha Sharma
Native ecologists/botanists who understand and have worked with communities in Himachal and Nepal.
Both have co-written papers on the restoration of the Himalayan Yew and how to encourage community involvement. For example, their paper published in 2014 in the Journal of Natural Areas. (1) . Due to their previous experience their input was important in developing our program to ensure sustainable farming and regeneration of the Himalayan Yew.
They could provide local insight into what the communities would be looking for in the program and guide.
Integration
Due to being quite late in the projects timeline, we have made verbal agreements to continue working on the development of the program after iGem. It will entail:
- Translating the guide to the languages of the community.
- Further consultations with communities in Nepal and India
- Employing local volunteers to distribute the guide to these communities.
The restoration of the Himalayan Yew is one of cultural and environmental significance.
Dr. Prabha Sharma
As a molecular biotechnologist, who works on conservation genetics he was able to both understand our work, and why we were creating the program we were. Dr. Poudel was our bridge to the Himalaya, through relaying to us his work, conversations, and experience with these communities.
Overall, we were able to gain a better understanding of these communities we were trying to help. As a result, we could adapt our program to fit the climate, resources, desires and concerns of these communities.
Integration
Extensive procedures on how to farm and harvest the yew tree. This included how to grow the tree from seeds, from cuttings, and how to cut and prune the Yew Tree so that it is not harmed in the process.
- As these communities do not have access to a fridge during the germination stage of the seeds, we needed to figure out an alternative. Dr. Poudel recommended that communities have seen success packing the germinating seeds in wet sand underground during colder months at higher elevations.
- Incorporating the concerns of the community. As planting and harvesting the Himalayan Yew would only be done during periods where crops cannot grow, this would become their sole source of income during these periods. Hence, they would like to see more profitable strains of the plant. Plants that produce more leaves, or are hardier. Or, as recommended by Dr. Ram Chandra Poudel, strains fo Himalayan Yew that produce more Paclitaxel per gram of leaves.
- Recommendations on the best seasons to plant and grow the seeds in the Himalaya, which are between September and October in the Himalaya. The best seasons to harvest the tree were January and April.
- The best period to collect the seeds of Taxus forest in Nepal was between October-November.
- Encouraging the use of Rotex 3, a common plant rooting hormone used in the Himalayas that Dr. Poudel reccomended we include in the guide.
Professor Prem Lal Uniyal and Dr. Prabha Sharma
Native ecologists/botanists who understand and have worked with communities in Himachal and Nepal.
Both have co-written papers on the restoration of the Himalayan Yew and how to encourage community involvement. For example, their paper published in 2014 in the Journal of Natural Areas.
They could provide local insight into what the communities would be looking for in the program and guide.
Integration
Due to being quite late in the projects timeline, we have made verbal agreements to continue working on the development of the program after iGem. It will entail:
- Translating the guide to the languages of the community.
- Further consultations with communities in Nepal and India
- Employing local volunteers to distribute the guide to these communities.
The restoration of the Himalayan Yew is one of cultural and environmental significance.