One of the positive roles of weeds may be their potential use as medicinal plants. The aim of this article is to evaluate the occurrence and distribution of weeds with pharmaceutically important active substances on arable land in the Czech Republic in organic farming. In 2006–2018, a phytocoenological survey was performed on selected organic farms in different production areas representing various climate and soil conditions and in different crops. A total of 223 species were found throughout the survey and of those, 56 species were identified to have a pharmaceutical significance. The effect of different production area and crops on the occurrence of these species was found statistically significant; however, most of the plants were not strongly associated with a particular region or crop. Among the species that were both frequent and with high mean cover are Cirsium arvense, Polygonum aviculare, Capsella bursa-pastoris, Stellaria media, Galium aparine, Elytrigia repens, Convolvulus arvensis, Fumaria officinalis, Centaurea cyanus, Descurainia sophia and Equisetum arvense . Recognizing possible benefits of ecosystem services provided by arable weeds and finding opportunities for organic farmers to have new seasonal markets may help improve sustainability of small farming operations.

This study investigates the current state of plant knowledge and use among nomadic communities in Mongolia's Gobi Desert, where rapid socioeconomic and environmental changes threaten traditional practices. Through a comprehensive survey of 50 participants aged 12–65 across four aimags, we documented the recognition, utilization, and cultural significance of 17 key plant species. High recognition rates were found for Haloxylon ammodendron , Agriophyllum pungens , and Rheum nanum , with medicinal use being the most frequently reported category. Environmental changes, particularly reduced water availability and habitat disruption due to mining activities, have significantly affected plant abundance and use. Importantly, while most respondents demonstrated knowledge of specific land management practices, including seasonal migration and protecting water sources, some were unfamiliar with formal conservation techniques. Concerns about the decline of plant knowledge among younger generations were prevalent among participants. The expansion of mining activities, affecting a substantial portion of the study area, emerged as a primary concern. These findings underscore the cultural, economic, and medicinal importance of plant species in the region and highlight the urgent need to preserve traditional ecological knowledge while developing strategies for biocultural diversity conservation amidst increasing challenges to nomadic livelihoods.

Traditional medicine, including the use of medicinal plants, is integral to healthcare and empowerment of individuals and communities worldwide. Preserving traditional knowledge of medicinal plants requires an understanding of social dynamics and knowledge transfer mechanisms that sustain these practices. This study aimed to explore stakeholder perspectives on the use of medicinal plants in South Tyrol (Italy) through a mixed-methods approach, combining an online survey with semi-structured interviews. We found that the use of medicinal plants is deeply rooted in local communities, supported by factors such as their local accessibility, their presence in education and medical self-care, and a strong local belief in plants’ healing powers. Knowledge is primarily transferred through women underscoring the gendered nature of this cultural heritage. However, sustainable and commercial use of medicinal plants is challenged by a complex set of socio-political barriers, including limited political prioritization and perceived disengagement of local authorities. Our findings highlight the need for coordinated multi-stakeholder strategies, including the establishment of a dedicated chamber to set production standards, safeguard commercial use, advocate for medicinal plant use, mediate conflicts, and address barriers collaboratively, ensuring the integration of traditional practices into modern contexts.

Weeds growing in Mesoamerican traditional maizefields, or milpas , represent a reserve of genetic resources and knowledge. To explore tendencies on the influence of natural and cultural attributes on milpa weeds and their knowledge, we studied species richness, perception, and use of adventitious plants in milpas across an agroclimatic and cultural gradient in Altiplano , Rioverde , and Huasteca milpas in the state of San Luis Potosi, México. The study involved semi-structured interviews and recording weed presence in milpas. Farmers from Huasteca , who often used herbicides and fertilizers in milpas, had a negative perception of weeds and their milpas registered a lower species richness. By contrast, farmers from Altiplano, who mostly managed milpas without industrial inputs, perceived weeds in an ambivalent manner (neither positive nor negative) and their milpas registered the highest species richness. Thus, an association between weed richness and management practices was identified. Farmers collectively recognized 67% of the species present in milpas, and from the total number of species registered, interviewees mentioned specific medicinal uses of nine species that have not been scientifically studied although those species have other scientifically known uses. Forage was the most common use of weeds in milpas from Altiplano and Rioverde , food in Rioverde , and agronomic as soil fertilizer in Huasteca . Milpa farmers collectively still preserve knowledge about weeds that showed differences depending on the uses and region. Promoting milpa agroecosystem ethnobiological knowledge is important to maintain sustainable practices and biodiversity.

Indigenous populations are rapidly losing their languages and culture, including traditional knowledge of nature, passed down orally from generation to generation. Here we examine knowledge of bird and plant species among the young and educated cohort of the Melpa people of Papua New Guinea and seek to understand the main causes of the decline in this knowledge. We show that although the young, educated Melpa speakers remain fluent in their native language, they are losing their ethnobiological knowledge. We have uncovered the gaps in bird knowledge, including culturally important ones such as birds of paradise. Knowledge of traditionally used plant species is also limited, with a total of 117 species listed by 1,313 respondents. Nearly half of the plant uses listed by respondents concerned nonnative plant species. The identified drivers of the decline in Melpa language proficiency and ethnobiological knowledge include urbanization, the use of Neo-Melanesian pidgin and English at home, mixed-language marriages, and the decline in traditional skills caused by lifestyle changes. These socioeconomic trends are largely endogenous, reflecting the choices and aspirations of the Melpa people. Therefore, the ongoing loss of traditional knowledge is difficult to reverse. Our study shows that ethnobiological knowledge can be endangered even in large and vigorously used Indigenous languages, such as Melpa.

Enset (Ensete ventricosum [Welw] Cheesman) is one of the known Ethiopian domesticates and is among the most important food security crops cultivated in the country. In Southwest Ethiopia, more notably, in Kaffa area the domestic enset coexists with its wild relatives. This study was thus conducted in Kaffa to assess the commonly applied folk wisdom of naming, identifying, and classifying ensets. The result showed that Kaffa botany of enset follows a pattern of hierarchy, beginning at the folk generic level and descending to the level of sub-variety. On the level of folk genus, farmers recognize two well-defined taxa of ensets: Uuxo (cultivated) and eppo (wild) ensets. The Eppo does not have a folk specific taxon, but Uuxo has this taxon, which is labeled as Epecho. Below the level of folk species, the Uuxo and Epecho groups divide into locally named varieties. The former has up to 92 varieties while the letter has only 3. Farmers identified 31 sub-varieties within the folk variety. Kaffa's botany of enset recognizes about 126 named, perhaps distinct units of ensets. Identification of taxa assigned to different groups is based on a wide range of folk descriptors. Among others, the Kaffa custom of naming and grouping ensets based on morphology, physiology, and utilization has definite biological and functional implications. This study has the potential to broaden our understanding of how native societies perceive, value, and maintain diversity and can also aid in the genetic and botanical study of crop plants elsewhere.

Since the Medieval period, many translators and commentators of the Bible encountered difficulties in understanding the phrase “dove's dung,” in relation to an edible substance, as mentioned in the Book of Kings (i.e., 2 Kings 6:25). We re-examine the suggestions and interpretations used to identify “dove's dung” as a specific plant. Our analysis is based on an exhaustive review of ecological data, geographic distribution of different plants, lexical evidence, edibility, and medicinal uses of these plants. In the literature, the following plants had been suggested as possibly being “dove's dung”: Cicer arienatum ; Ornithogalum umbellatum ; Bunium elegans ; Ceratonia siliqua; Tulipa montana; and Prosopis farcta . Based on all the evidence reviewed, we propose that Prosopis farcta is the most plausible identification of “dove's dung.” Our proposal draws on the Akkadian names for this species, which are kabut summati (“dove's feces”) and zê summati (“dove's dung”), in conjunction with the edibility, ecology, distribution, and medicinal uses of Prosopis farcta , which were the same in ancient Mesopotamia as they are today in the Middle East. All the other suggested plant species, except for P. farcta , were based on unreliable philological data and/or are not native to the Holy Land and/or are unsuitable as a substitute for a staple food under siege conditions.

Biodiversity conservation approaches in Africa have often separated human societies from nature, establishing protected areas with restricted resource use and displacing local communities. However, successful conservation and management strategies demand the integration of social and environmental priorities. To this end, we examined the use of woody plants by rural communities around the Niokolo Koba National Park (Senegal). We quantitatively assessed the use and cultural importance of 63 species, identifying their role in livelihoods, evaluating the relevance of communities’ characteristics in plant use, and determining the primary collection sites. Medicine, human food, firewood, and construction materials were the most common uses of plants, while economic, animal food, spiritual-ritual, and cosmetic uses were less frequent. We identified several key multipurpose species with a wide range of uses, while others played important roles for specific applications, primarily traditional medicine and food. Plant use was mainly shaped by the settlement location, the specific collection sites, and how different ethnic groups used these sites differently. Nearly 80% of the species were collected in the surroundings of villages, 25% in the park, and 15% within the villages. Consistently, more plant uses were reported in the surroundings, the park, and villages, in that order. Our results show the current relevance of various species and uses for local livelihoods, as well as the persistent bonds with protected areas. This study provides a foundation for biocultural conservation, sustainable resource use, and the preservation of traditional knowledge amidst rapid societal changes in Senegal.

This article documents the activities of two of the last juniper berry pickers of the Catalan Pyrenees. We describe how their work has been affected by rural depopulation, hyperregulation, and climate change. Junipers mostly grow in open pastures that are being colonized by bushes and trees. Their berries are sold to one of the main Catalan gin-making companies. Juniper berry pickers, thus, conduct their work in transitional areas: pastures in the process of becoming forests. Working in areas perceived as “lost,” in transition, or worthless scrubland by most rural and urban populations has affected how the pickers are perceived. Indeed, these forms of foraging go largely unseen by most users of the mountains and, despite the fact that they gather these cones for large commercial companies, they seem to operate at the margins of mainstream perceptibility.

Oysters are ecologically and culturally significant to communities worldwide. Their presence in precolonial shell middens attests to their longstanding importance to coastal societies, a relationship that is exemplified along Florida's Central Gulf Coast. However, archaeological investigations into oyster harvesting in the region have been mainly economic-centered. Our study enlists the concept of oyster merroir—the connection between the characteristics of oysters and the environmental and social contexts in which they are raised—to explore how the management and consumption of oysters are multidimensional and capable of reinforcing connections to specific places and times. To accomplish this, we compare the morphology and taphonomy of oyster shells from three assemblages: contemporary farmed, contemporary wild reefs, and precolonial middens to assess selective preferences. We contextualize our data with previously conducted interviews with those in the Florida oyster industry and through firsthand experience of these practices from volunteer days at local oyster farms and with oyster managers. We found more morphological and taphonomic variation between wild reefs than between archaeological sites, highlighting consistency in harvesting practices over centuries. Still, farmed oysters had the most morphological consistency, reflecting the goal of producing an idealized shell shape. Our data suggests that Indigenous Floridians were consistent but flexible in their oyster harvesting—targeting nearshore intertidal reefs and culling oyster clusters to maintain reef substrate. We conclude by outlining how each assemblage reinforces connections to time and space in their own way.