Comprehensive population analysis as a framework for sustainable management of medicinal plant resources
Keywords:
Medicinal plants, population analysis, population monitoring, sustainable resource management, ecosystem approach, innovations in agriculture, agroecology, biodiversity, meadow ecosystems, ontogenetic structure, vitality structure, cultivation of medicinal plantsSynopsis
The section considers the possibilities of using complex population analysis as a scientific and methodological basis for sustainable management of medicinal plant resources and the introduction of innovative approaches into the agricultural system. The study was conducted on the example of populations of nine species of medicinal plants distributed in floodplain meadow ecosystems of the Krolevets-Glukhiv geobotanical region of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine. The methodological basis of the work was a complex analysis that included determining the area of population fields, population density, morphometric characteristics of plants, ontogenetic and vitality structure of populations. Significant interspecific and intraspecific variability of parameters of medicinal plant populations was established, which reflects the peculiarities of their adaptation to environmental conditions and anthropogenic impact. Populations with high resource potential were identified, which can be used as centers of regulated procurement of medicinal raw materials, as well as populations that require priority protection. It is shown that the most informative criteria for assessing the prospects for the economic use of medicinal plants are the area of the population field, population density, characteristics of the ontogenetic structure, including indices of renewal and aging of populations, as well as the value of the quality index Q as a reflection of the level of vitality of populations.
The feasibility of using population indicators as a tool to support management decisions in the field of rational nature management and agroecological management is substantiated. A conceptual model of adaptive management of medicinal plant resources is proposed, based on a combination of complex population analysis, system monitoring and mechanisms for adjusting economic use regimes depending on the state of populations. Particular attention is paid to population monitoring as an informative tool for early detection of negative trends and prevention of depletion of phytoresources.
It is shown that the integration of the population approach into the practice of natural resource management creates the prerequisites for increasing the efficiency of medicinal plants, preserving their adaptive potential and maintaining the biodiversity of meadow ecosystems. The results obtained can be used to form innovative natural resource management systems in agriculture, improve phytodiversity protection programs, develop environmentally friendly production of medicinal plant raw materials and implement the principles of sustainable development of agricultural landscapes.
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Chapter 6
Published
August 6, 2026
Copyright (c) 2026 Inna Zubtsova, Viktoriia Skliar
How to Cite
Zubtsova, I., & Skliar, V. (2026). Comprehensive population analysis as a framework for sustainable management of medicinal plant resources. In P. Lykhovyd, V. Silchenko, L. Kononenko, V. Savchenko, A. Karnaushenko, Y. Hlavatska, H. Savelenko, N. Sysolina, I. Sysolina, K. Vasylkovska, O. Andriienko, V. Malakhovska, I. Androshchuk, O. Vasylkovskyi, S. Moroz, G. Karashchuk, E. Kulidzhanov, I. Zubtsova, & V. Skliar, In Press. Innovative technological solutions in agriculture. Scientific Route OÜ®. https://monograph.route.ee/rout/catalog/book/innovative_technological_solutions_in_agriculture/chapter/213
