PMID- 34034764 OWN - NLM STAT- MEDLINE DCOM- 20211028 LR - 20211028 IS - 1746-4269 (Electronic) IS - 1746-4269 (Linking) VI - 17 IP - 1 DP - 2021 May 25 TI - A historical and ethnobotanical study on local botanical knowledge recorded in the book "Mongolia and Amdo and the Dead City of Khara-Khoto". PG - 36 LID - 10.1186/s13002-021-00443-2 [doi] LID - 36 AB - BACKGROUND: There is a plentiful amount of local knowledge on plants hidden in the literature of foreign exploration to China in modern history. Mongolia and Amdo and the Dead City of Khara-Khoto (MAKK) is an expedition record on the sixth scientific expedition to northwestern China (1907-1909) initiated by P. K. Kozlov (1863-1935), a famous Russian Central Asian explorer. Used as a non-professional biology book, MAKK contains some botanical knowledge. The information noted down over more than 100 years ago is about the traditional knowledge of the Mongolian folks lived on the Mongolian plateau and the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau for the understanding and utilization of plants, which is of a highlighted function for the study of the botany and the history of science and technology. We therefore have carried on relevant collation, analysis, investigation and criticism to Mongolian local knowledge on plants in MAKK, and obtained the status quo of these local knowledge. METHODS: The authors used the literature research method to sort and compare the two versions of MAKK, separating out the Mongolian local knowledge about plant naming and utilization. Then, these contents were verified through literature textual method and were catalogued according to the method of ethnobotany. Based on these, the authors carried out field investigations along with Kozlov's expedition routes in Alxa in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The methods of key informants interview, snowball sampling, and rational sampling were all used in field investigations. By analyzing the interview data of 34 key informants, we obtained the status quo of local knowledge recorded in MAKK. RESULTS: By means of regulation and research, it is found that Mongolian plant folk names of one genus and eight species were recorded in MAKK. Their morphological characteristics and traditional grazing knowledge are crucial naming basis. There are three types on the structures of Mongolian plant name: simple primary name, complex primary name, and secondary name. Corresponding relations between Mongolian folk name and scientific name are existed in "one-to-one," "multitude-to-one," and "one-to-multitude" forms. The classification of certain plants by Mongolian people has reached the level of species or varieties. In addition, the Mongols' usage for nine species of plants was noted in MAKK. These plants are mainly used for edible, graziery, fuelwood, building material, toponym, and belief. With the development and change of the society, it is found that some utilization methods have been replaced or even disappeared, while the remainders still continue to be applied. CONCLUSIONS: Firstly, the Mongols have indigenous rules and systems for nominating and classifying plants. Secondly, the Mongolian local knowledge on plants possesses multiform character. Thirdly, the Mongolian local knowledge on plants and Mongolian culture have mutual influence and interdependence relationship. Fourthly, the Mongolian local knowledge on plants urgently needs to be protected in many forms. Finally, it is veritable and reliable for the records of Mongolian botanical local knowledge in MAKK by textual research, and it is valuable for scientific research. The historical notes more than 100 years ago are not only supply dependable information and momentous historical data for Mongolian ethnobotany and Chinese minority science and technology history research, but also offer references for ecology, flora, and botanical history study. FAU - Liu, Guixi AU - Liu G AUID- ORCID: 0000-0003-3354-2714 AD - Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China. liugx@imnu.edu.cn. FAU - Wurheng AU - Wurheng AD - College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China. FAU - Zhang, Yanying AU - Zhang Y AD - Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China. FAU - Guo, Shirong AU - Guo S AD - Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China. FAU - Yongmei AU - Yongmei AD - Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China. FAU - Khasbagan AU - Khasbagan AD - Institute for the History of Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China. ethnobiology@imnu.edu.cn. AD - College of Life Science and Technology, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, 010022, China. ethnobiology@imnu.edu.cn. AD - Key Laboratory Breeding Base for Biodiversity Conservation and Sustainable Use of Colleges and Universities in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Hohhot, China. ethnobiology@imnu.edu.cn. LA - eng GR - CYYC 2012024/"Grassland Elite" project of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China/ GR - B2018111931Z/Postgraduate Education Innovation Program Funding Projects of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China/ GR - 20XZS031/Western China Project of National Social Science Found of China/ PT - Journal Article DEP - 20210525 PL - England TA - J Ethnobiol Ethnomed JT - Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine JID - 101245794 SB - IM MH - China MH - *Ethnobotany MH - Humans MH - *Knowledge MH - Mongolia MH - *Plants PMC - PMC8152055 OTO - NOTNLM OT - Botanical history OT - Ethnobotany OT - Expedition record OT - Local knowledge on plants OT - Mongolian folk OT - P. K. Kozlov COIS- The authors declare that they have no competing interests. EDAT- 2021/05/27 06:00 MHDA- 2021/10/29 06:00 PMCR- 2021/05/25 CRDT- 2021/05/26 05:48 PHST- 2020/12/10 00:00 [received] PHST- 2021/02/25 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2021/05/26 05:48 [entrez] PHST- 2021/05/27 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2021/10/29 06:00 [medline] PHST- 2021/05/25 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - 10.1186/s13002-021-00443-2 [pii] AID - 443 [pii] AID - 10.1186/s13002-021-00443-2 [doi] PST - epublish SO - J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2021 May 25;17(1):36. doi: 10.1186/s13002-021-00443-2.