Ethnobotanical Knowledge of Artuklu District (Mardin) Türkiye High School Students

Abstract

Documentation of traditional ethnobotanical knowledge from past to present is valuable in terms of sustainability and use of natural resources and should be done before this rich heritage is lost. Therefore, this study aims to determine the knowledge of students about plants used ethnobotanically in their living environments and to transfer this valuable information to future generations by recording it. The research was conducted with 213 students in a total of 8 high schools, 4 of which are located in the Artuklu district center and 4 high schools in 4 large rural neighborhoods where students from almost every rural neighborhood are educated. Structured and semi-structured face-to-face survey interviews were conducted to collect information about ethnobotanical uses of plants. According to the information received from the high school students, it was determined that 48 taxa belonging to 27 families were used by the local people for medicinal and food purposes. The most frequently used families were Apiaceae, Asteraceae, Brassicaceae, Fabaceae, Rosaceae and Lamiaceae. The highest usage values (UV) were recorded in Malva neglecta (0.37), Gundelia tournefortii (0.32), Centaurea hyalolepis (0.24), Lepidium draba (0.24) and Portulaca oleracea (0.23). It was observed that students living in the rural areas of the district had more knowledge about wild plants than students living in the district center. However, it was also seen that having knowledge about plants with ethnobotanical use and understanding the importance of this knowledge was not sufficient for the continuity of traditional knowledge.