Traditional knowledge of Zagros forest dwellers related to the medicinal values of ‎woody and herbaceous plants (case study: Khorramabad forests, Lorestan ‎Province)‎

Since the beginning of creation, man's relationship with the forest has led to the formation of traditional knowledge, which has been mainly aimed at meeting human needs. Ethnobotany is the study of a region's plants through the traditional knowledge of a local culture and people. One of its important branches is related to the medicinal values of plants. Due to the existence of different local communities in the Zagros region and the diversity of traditional knowledge in this area, as well as the lack of information in this field, the study tried to study traditional knowledge related to medicinal properties of plants in the common-law forest area of Chenarkol in Khorramabad city, Lorestan province. Based on the results, 44 woody and herbaceous medicinal and edible (mainly fruit of trees and shrubs) species were identified in the area and their traditional knowledge especially their application and the way of preparation was recorded. Among the plant organs used, fruits and leaves had the largest share with 27% and 23.5%, respectively. Twenty species had only edible use, while only medicinal plants had nine species. Twenty-four species (54.5%) of the plants were used raw, most of which were either edible forest fruits (such as Pistachia atlantica and P. khinjuk) or as a vegetable (such as Nasturtium officinale and Adiantum capillus-veneris). The findings confirm that local communities in the area are well acquainted with the region's native medicinal plants and their medicinal and nutritional values, but combining the rich traditional knowledge of the villagers and nomads with the basics of conservation and sustaining the ecosystem is an issue that needs serious attention.