Determination of traditional knowledge based on biodiversity in Nevşehir province

In this study, traditional knowledge (TK) based on biodiversity in Nevşehir Province was systematically identified and comprehensively evaluated. The research was conducted between 13 April 2020 and 5 October 2021, during a total of 30 days of fieldwork. Within this scope, surveys were carried out in 30 villages located in eight districts of Nevşehir. A total of 162 individuals, including 101 men and 61 women, were interviewed face-toface. As a result of these interviews, 142 different traditional uses, excluding repetitions, were recorded. According to categorical distribution, these data comprised 106 related to health, 14 to nutrition, 16 to industrial uses, 3 to agriculture and animal husbandry, and 3 to other purposes. In addition to field data, a literature review yielded 874 further records, resulting in a total of 1,573 raw TK records. After eliminating duplicates, 172 unique items of traditional knowledge were identified. These consisted of 120 in the health category, 17 in nutrition, 22 in industrial use, 8 in agriculture and animal husbandry, and 5 in other uses. From a floristic perspective, the study revealed a taxonomic diversity comprising 74 families, 161 genera, and 188 species. Among these, 168 species belonged to plants, 16 to animals, and 4 to fungi, with three endemic species identified. The highest number of taxa was recorded in the Asteraceae (19 taxa) family, followed by Rosaceae (15), Apiaceae (11), Lamiaceae (11), Fabaceae (9), and Brassicaceae (9). In conclusion, based on the combined field and literature data, a total of 371 taxa—349 plants, 17 animals, and 5 fungi—were documented, distributed across 86 families and 239 genera.