Berries, greens, and medicinal herbs—mapping and assessing wild plants as an ecosystem service in Transylvania (Romania)

Abstract

Background: Wild edible plants as well as medicinal herbs are still widely used natural resources in Eastern Europe that are frequently accessed by the local population. Ethnobotanical studies rarely give insight to the specific ecosystems in which wild food and medicinal plants grow in a spatially explicit way. The present work assesses the potential of different ecosystems to provide wild plants for food and medicinal use based on 37 selected plant species, gives an estimate on the actual use of wild plants, and allows insights into the motivation of local people to collect wild plants.Methods: A number of interdisciplinary methods were used: participatory stakeholder workshops with experts scoring the provisioning capacity of ecosystem types, GIS for representing results (capacity maps), basic data statistics for actual use assessment, and interviews for analysing motivations.Results: Capacity to provide wild edible plants was assessed highest in broad-leaved forests and wetlands, while for medicinal herbs, orchards were rated best. We could find a multitude of motivations for gathering that could be grouped along four main lines corresponding to major dimensions of well-being (health, habit/tradition, nutrition/ income, pleasure/emotional), with health reasons dominating very clearly the range (59% of answers), which can be interpreted as a combination of modern "green" values with a traditional lifestyle. We detected some distinct patterns of motivations between the different social groups analysed with more fundamental needs associated with lower level socio-ecological background. Conclusion: This case study provides an example on the importance of wild plants for locals from several points of view. We emphasize the relevance of these local stakeholder views to be included in decision-making and ecosystem management, which can be achieved by the presented workflow for mapping and assessment of ecosystem services which is also compatible with EU-suggested Mapping and Assessment of Ecosystems and their Services (MAES).

Participatory mapping reveals biocultural and nature values in the shared landscape of a Nordic UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

“…Thus, our ES statements and typology is a balance between a commonly accepted ES typology and interpretability for local stakeholders. Two of our ES, ‘hunting and fishing’ and ‘wild plants, berries and mushrooms for food’ can be classified as cultural and as provisioning ES since both provide food and are linked to social interaction, recreation and cultural traditions (Stryamets et al., 2015; Vári et al., 2020). However, we have considered these as cultural ES which is consistent with the socio‐demographics of NBR and other studies in similar contexts (Malmborg et al., 2021; Meacham et al., 2016; Quieroz et al., 2015; Stryamets et al., 2015).…”

A new ecosystem services approach to enable identification of pro-biodiversity businesses of protected karst areas in Central and South-Eastern Europe

“…More focus should also be directed to the use of non-timber forest products, forest fruits, and mushrooms, as well as medicinal plants. The results suggest that while the potential is somewhat recognised in some PAs, there is more that could be done, particularly at a time when consumers are demanding more organic, wild, local, and seasonal products (Vári, Á. et al 2017(Vári, Á. et al , 2020Keesstra, S. et al 2018). For example, the production of more organic forest honey, the sustainable use of wild vegetables and wild fruits such as berries, chesnuts, mushrooms would all contribute to the better coexistence of nature and people, while minimising the anthropogenic disturbance of natural processes in the forests (Simončič, T. and Matijašič, D. 2013;Shackleton, C.M.…”

Medicinal forest herbs: conservation and economic development in the Appalachian Mountains

“…For example, blackberry and raspberry (Rubus fruticosus and R. idaeus), European elder (Sambucus nigra), European wild garlic (ramsons; Allium ursinum), wild ginger (Asarum europaeum), Saint John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum), and stinging nettle (Urtica dioecia) are used medicinally, as foods or flavorings, and as sources of income across Eastern Europe, including the Carpathian Mountains. As in Appalachia, these species have deep connections to cultural identities and a long history of use that connect traditional and local knowledge to rural economies, ecosystem services, and international markets (Vári et al 2020).…”