Biodiversity, sustainable utilization, and conservation of the wild plants used in Traditional Mongolian Medicine of the Greater Khingan Mountains

The wild plants used in TMM of the GKM stand out for their rich plant diversity, widespread distribution area, exceptional medicinal value, and unique geo-authenticity. Mongolian Medicine names reveal multicultural integrations of the TMM. The comparison between TMM and local MFM not only confirms that traditional knowledge of MFM and TMM belongs to the same medical system, but also reveals valuable indigenous knowledge that unrecorded in the TMM. Locally and industrially used wild plants used in TMM demonstrate high utilization rates, reflecting their high medicinal value. Special attention should be given to underutilized species, particularly those documented in the literature but lacking practical application, to advance their large-scale utilization while ensuring effective conservation. Conservation strategies require the integration of strengthened legal regulations, public education and science popularization, nature reserve management, species-specific conservation initiatives, large-scale cultivation, and rational harvesting practices to achieve effective conservation and sustainable utilization of these invaluable resources.