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Measurement(s) plant trait Technology Type(s) various Factor Type(s) none Sample Characteristic - Organism Tracheophyta Sample Characteristic - Environment natural environment Sample Characteristic - Location global

Abstract Background Traditional knowledge is key for sustainability, but it is rapidly disappearing. Pig keeping in forests and marshes is an ancient, once widespread, now vanishing practice, with a major economic and ecological potential. The knowledge of pig keepers and the foraging activity of pigs are hardly documented. Methods We studied the knowledge of traditional pig keepers (svinjars) on wild plants and pig foraging on the Sava-Bosut forest-marsh complex in Serbia. We conducted picture-based interviews about 234 locally common and/or salient plant species, and participatory fieldwork (11 days) and visual observation (21 days) on pig foraging. Results 181 wild plant species were known by svinjars and 106 taxa were consumed by pigs. Svinjars knew well and could name most regularly foraged species. 98 species were reported by svinjars as foraged and 56 as not eaten. 28 species were observed by the authors as eaten regularly, while 21 were nibbled and 17 avoided. Contradictory information on foraging was rare both among svinjars (8 species) and between svinjars and researchers (7 species); several of these species were rare. Leaves of 92, fruits or seeds of 21 and ‘roots’ of 20 species were reported or observed as eaten, usually with high seasonality. Svinjars were overall observant, but knew little about some less salient species (e.g. Veronica, Circaea). The most common forages (reported and/or observed) were fruits (Quercus, fleshy fruits), grasses (Agrostis, Glyceria), herbs (Ranunculus ficaria, Circaea), nutritious ‘roots’ (Carex spp., Iris), young shrub leaves (Crataegus, Carpinus) and ‘tame’ plants growing in the sun (Persicaria dubia, Erigeron annuus). Traditional, now extinct pig breeds were reported as less selective and more ‘knowledgeable’ about plants, as they received less additional fodder. Svinjars learnt their knowledge since childhood, from community members, but long-term personal observations and everyday encounters with pigs were also important sources of knowledge. Conclusions A deeper understanding of pig foraging could contribute to using pigs in nature conservation management, resource management and organic farming, and to a better understanding of wild boar foraging. The knowledge of svinjars is a disappearing intangible cultural heritage of European importance. Knowledge holders deserve recognition, and legal and financial support to continue this tradition.

Abstract Background Forests have been grazed for millennia. Around the world, forest grazing by livestock became a controversial management practice, gradually restricted in many countries over the past 250 years. This was also the case in most Central and Eastern European countries, including Hungary, where forest grazing was a legally prohibited activity between 1961 and 2017. Until the 2010s, ecologists and nature conservationists considered it merely as a historical form of forest use. As a result, there is little contemporary scientific information available about the impact of forest grazing on vegetation and the traditional ecological knowledge associated with it. Our aim was to explore and summarize this type of knowledge held by herders in Hungary. Methods We interviewed 58 knowledgeable herders and participated in forest grazing activities in 43 study locations across the country. The results were analysed qualitatively. Results We revealed a living ecological knowledge tradition and practice of forest grazing in native and non-native forest stands. The impact of livestock grazing on native and non-native forests is not considerably different, in the view of the herders. For both forest types, the greatest impact of grazing was the suppression of the shrub layer, while grazing also increased the dominance and palatability (“tameness”) of the grasses. Livestock could cause significant damage to seedlings during forest grazing, but if done with care, grazing could also be an integral part of forestry management. Conclusions Sustainability of current forest grazing practices depends on the depth of local and traditional knowledge applied and herders’ stewardship. We stress the importance of collaborating with holders of local and traditional knowledge in order to gain a better understanding of the effects of livestock grazing on vegetation in temperate forests.

Despite the growing list of elements assessed and recognised as environmental and human health hazards, pollution monitoring and mitigation strategies are mandatory only for a limited number of metals, for which ambient air quality limits are defined by national and international policies. In order to overcome this deficiency, and promote cost-effective strategies and methods to assess airborne pollution, biomonitoring has been employed on several occasions using various protocols and organisms. Here we present a complex national monitoring study based on a combined approach that integrates air pollution data obtained through passive biomonitoring using the foliar content of various tree species and active biomonitoring with Hylocomium splendens moss bags. Concentrations of seven air pollutant metals, Al, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn, not regularly monitored and lacking established legal limit values, were measured in 410 passive and 142 active biomonitoring sampling sites across Romania, in two seasons, representing the largest study reported up-to-date applying complementary passive and active biomonitoring. Literature data reporting concentrations from uncontaminated areas was used to establish the concentration limits for four pollution levels (no, low, medium and high pollution), in order to develop a colour-coded warning system. High pollution levels were measured for 4.7% of passive and 9.8% of active monitoring samples. The largest proportions of samples showing high pollution levels were obtained for zinc (38.4%, for active monitoring) and chromium (18.9%, for passive monitoring). A significantly higher element content was found in moss bag samples than in leaves/needles. Though we emphasize the potential of both passive and active biomonitoring in assessing airborne pollution, our experiences and findings show that the more standardized methodology of moss-bag biomonitoring is sounder and better suited for such large-scale studies than a study conducted on multiple tree species. Some of the difficulties encountered during the two biomonitoring studies are also reported, including the range limit of species and the lack of established reference values for pollution limits.

Hay is still a fundamental resource for many Central and Eastern European traditional rural communities, as this is the only type of fodder used in winter time for the indoor feeding of livestock animals. To explore its current relevance for local communities, we conducted research in Ieud village, Maramureș county, in Northern Romania. The fourteenth-century documents clearly mention hay meadows as one of the most important land uses in the village, belonging to the local nobility. Due to the long history of animal husbandry and farming in the region, the locals from Ieud have developed a hay classification system based on dominant topography, land uses, slope exposure, dominant plant species and structure. Hay meadows are still managed traditionally, closely connected to several feast days, although the methods of hay monitoring and the timing of mowing are slightly different, thus proving the adaptability of traditional ecological knowledge. One significant difference between former and present management is that the meadows located at higher elevations and further away from the village are currently very rarely used for haymaking, most of them being used as pastures. Considering that these meadows are most valuable from a biodiversity perspective, we argue that appropriate policies and incentives are needed to support local communities in preserving traditional practices, maintaining their traditional ecological knowledge and promoting the valuation of ecosystem services.

The reviewed book meets the increase expectation of studying traditional ecological knowledge of the Hungarian-speaking Csángó [Tsango] ethnics, comparing it to Western science, and thus bringing further substantial proof of how traditional ecological knowledge can complement and help deepen scientific findings.