Untangled Roots

Untangled Roots: Past Forward is a science-guided conservation initiative focused on understanding why American ginseng has not returned to recovering forests around Tims Ford Lake in Tennessee. Combining family history, historical ecology, mapping, and habitat analysis, the project examines how generations of land clearing and the creation of Tims Ford Reservoir affected ginseng populations and their forest habitat. Its research maps ginseng occurrences against land parcels and identifies areas with suitable slope, aspect, elevation, and forest cover for restoration.

The initiative highlights the importance of underground mycorrhizal fungi, which form essential partnerships with ginseng roots and may take much longer to recover than the forest canopy. Its proposed work includes a pilot restoration program on Tennessee Valley Authority land, using seed from nearby Hurricane Creek populations, and a forest-farming initiative for private landowners. The latter would teach wild-simulated ginseng cultivation, allowing plants to grow in existing woodlands with minimal intervention.

Together, these efforts aim to restore ginseng, support forest stewardship, and help protect local habitat from development pressure