Plants, people, and place: cultural importance and spatial knowledge of traditional plant species in a Mediterranean landscape

Rural depopulation in semi-arid Mediterranean regions is progressively eroding the biocultural landscapes that have sustained both biodiversity and local ecological knowledge (LEK) over centuries. Documenting how ethnobotanical knowledge structures the cultural value of species — and where communities perceive their distributions to occur — is essential for conservation planning in territories undergoing rapid demographic and land-use change. We conducted 25 semi-structured interviews with local informants in the Los Vélez region (Almería, SE Spain). Using a two-step protocol, informants first selected and ranked the four most culturally important plant species from a panel of eight. They then evaluated 14 traditional use categories for each selected species on a four-point importance scale. Differences in perceived importance were modelled using a cumulative link mixed model (CLMM). Finally, informants drew polygons on a digital map indicating where they perceived each species to occur; these were compared with occurrence records from the SIVIM database (10 × 10 km grid). Thymus vulgaris and Salvia rosmarinus were the most frequently selected species ( n = 24 and 23, respectively). Juniperus sabina , despite low selection frequency, received the highest mean perceived importance (x̄ = 3.33), associated particularly with cultural identity and special significance. Macrochloa tenacissima emerged as the primary provider of material-based provisioning services. The CLMM confirmed significant effects of both use category (LRT = 106.03, df = 13, p < 0.001) and plant species (LRT = 29.46, df = 5, p < 0.001) on perceived importance, with medicinal and food uses receiving the highest scores and poisons and language the lowest. Participatory maps showed high spatial concordance with SIVIM records for Juniperus sabina and Macrochloa tenacissima , while informants underestimated the northern distribution of Salvia rosmarinus and Thymus vulgaris . LEK about culturally important plant species in Los Vélez remains active despite decades of rural depopulation. Cultural importance is shaped by a complex interplay of ecological distribution, livelihood history, and symbolic significance, rather than by abundance alone. These findings underscore the urgency of integrating LEK into biocultural conservation strategies that recognise local communities as legitimate stewards of their territory.