Abstract
The Balkans are increasingly becoming recognized as a hotspot of rich floristic biodiversity and a living repository of a biocultural heritage that is deeply embedded in local knowledge of environmental resources. It is from this knowledge that a legacy of strategies for the improvement of human health and dietary resources can be found. In this chapter, we discuss the ethnobotanies of three regions of the isolated Albanian mountains, focusing on the northern, northeastern, and eastern territories. Here, we present a comparative analysis of local knowledge and practice regarding environmental resources and wild plants, in particular. We highlight the uses of some of the most widely cited medicinal plants in these regions, including: Chenopodium bonus-henricus L., Gentiana lutea L., Origanum vulgare L., Rumex patientia L., Urtica dioica L., and Vaccinium myrtillus L., among others. Lastly, we discuss the role of traditional environmental knowledge of such species in the context of resilience and sustainable development of local economies in Albania.
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Acknowledgments
Special thanks are due to all of the Albanian study participants who have generously shared their knowledge regarding local plants over the years.
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Pieroni, A., Quave, C. (2014). Wild Food and Medicinal Plants Used in the Mountainous Albanian North, Northeast, and East: A Comparison. In: Pieroni, A., Quave, C. (eds) Ethnobotany and Biocultural Diversities in the Balkans. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1492-0_10
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1492-0_10
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