Scaling ethnobotanical knowledge from species to plant communities for mountain conservation

Abstract

Sustainable management of mountain ecosystems requires integrating ecological and socio-cultural dimensions. We assessed how culturally important species are represented across plant communities, by combining vegetation survey data collected in the mountains of central Argentina with local knowledge of plant use from peer-reviewed ethnobotanical studies based on primary data. We analyzed 285 useful vascular plant species across 682 vegetation surveys covering twelve vegetation types. Each survey was characterized by total species richness, number and abundance of useful plants, a cultural importance index, and a new ecocultural index that links cultural and ecological relevance. Useful species represented 28% of the regional flora, with their richness positively associated with total plant richness and elevation. Cultural and ecocultural indices varied with elevation, showing higher values at lower elevations due to greater richness, abundance, and cultural importance of native species. In contrast, upper elevations showed lower values, likely due to limited ethnobotanical research, though they supported unique and valuable species. By scaling ethnobotanical knowledge from species to plant communities, our approach provides a globally applicable framework for assigning conservation value to plant communities based on their cultural relevance to local people.