Ethnobotanical Analysis and Regional Comparison of Ethnoveterinary Practices in Southern Fars, Iran

This article analyzes the traditional ethnoveterinary knowledge of medicinal plants among the Bikheii, Korosh, and Achomi tribes in Fars, Iran. Ethnoveterinary data collected from 200 informants in 27 local communities were analyzed using the ethnobotanyR package. The analysis identified 31 plant species from 21 families used in ethnoveterinary practices. The most commonly used plant families were Rosaceae and Fabaceae. Ferula assa-foetida and Astragalus fasciculifolius had the highest use reports (URs) and were noted as having particular importance in the daily lives of tribal people in the south of Fars in Iran. A key focus of this study is a regional comparison with other documented ethnoveterinary practices, primarily within Iran, to identify conserved knowledge and novel findings. This study contributes to the conservation and sustainable use of traditional ethnoveterinary knowledge, which has previously been limited to herders and aged community members. The findings also provide a basis for future phytochemical and pharmacological studies to validate the efficacy of these medicinal plants for veterinary purposes.