Erosion of Ethnobotanical Knowledge: Drivers, Consequences and Conservation Strategies-A Systematic Review
Keywords:
Ethnobotany, Indigenous Knowledge, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Biodiversity Conservation, Biocultural Diversity, Traditional Medicine, Knowledge Erosion.Abstract
Ethnobotanical knowledge, encompassing the traditional understanding of plant diversity and its utilization for food, medicine, agriculture, rituals and ecosystem management, represents an invaluable component of humanity's biocultural heritage. However, this knowledge has undergone rapid erosion during the past few decades owing to socio-economic transformation, globalization, urbanization, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, migration, language extinction and changing healthcare practices. The present review critically synthesizes published literature to examine the major drivers responsible for the erosion of ethnobotanical knowledge, its ecological and socio-cultural consequences, and strategies for its conservation. Literature published between 1990 and 2025 was retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect and relevant reports of the World Health Organization (WHO), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), UNESCO, IPBES and the Ministry of AYUSH. The reviewed evidence indicates that the decline of indigenous knowledge is closely associated with reduced intergenerational knowledge transmission, shrinking natural habitats, commercialization of biological resources, declining indigenous languages and inadequate policy support. Loss of ethnobotanical knowledge not only threatens cultural identity but also undermines biodiversity conservation, primary healthcare, food security and sustainable resource management. Strengthening community participation, systematic documentation, legal protection of traditional knowledge, integration into formal education, conservation of biological resources and evidence-based validation of traditional practices are essential for safeguarding this valuable heritage. The review emphasizes that conserving ethnobotanical knowledge should be considered an integral component of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development.