Ethnobotany of rural and urban Albanians and Serbs in the Anadrini region, Kosovo

Ethnobotanical studies in South-Eastern Europe have gained several scholars’ and stakeholders’ interest since they are considered crucial for evaluating and valorizing the local bio-cultural heritage. While the Kosovar flora is estimated to comprise more than 2500 species, Kosovo also represents a reservoir of cultural, linguistic, and religious diversities. An ethnobotanical field study was carried out in the spring of 2017 among Albanians and Serbs living in rural and urban environments of the Anadrini region, central Kosovo. The study aimed to assess if the different ethnic affiliations or rural/urban environments could have affected traditional local plant uses among communities who lived together in the same region over many centuries. The field survey was conducted via semi-structured interviews with 150 local adults chosen among the traditional knowledge holders and focused on traditional uses of wild food and medicinal plants relevant to human or animal health. We recorded and identified a total of 72 plant species belonging to 34 plant families. A comparison between Serbs and Albanians shows a similar number of used plant species/taxa. In contrast, the comparison among rural and urban populations showed that urbanization only affected (decreased) the traditional environmental knowledge retained by Albanians living in Rahovec-who, in response to complex historical trajectories, still speak a Slavic language and possibly adopted very “hybridized” plant-centered customs. This work’s findings could be implemented in rural sustainable projects aimed at fostering both environmentally-friendly circular economies and social cohesion.