The traditional knowledge’s dynamism: the first ethnobotanical border study in Valmalenco (Italy) and Valposchiavo (Switzerland)

Alpine regions are characterized by a rich and complex biodiversity, strictly connected to a distinctive legacy of centuries-old Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK), which led local people to the preservation of autochthonous plant species and their traditional uses. Peripheral Alpine border areas represent a typical hotspot to immortalize the dynamic evolution of LEK, which adapted over time to the threat of climate and socio-economic changes. Within the framework of the European Interreg Italy-Switzerland B-ICE & Heritage and GEMME projects, an ethnobotanical border study was conducted in Valmalenco (Northern Italy, Sondrio) and in Valposchiavo (Switzerland, Canton of Grisons). From 2019 to 2023, semi-structured interviews and participant observation were performed to evaluate the dynamism of LEK circulation across this border. Quali-quantitative analyses of the primary data were performed through pivot tables and ethnobotanical indexes, after database archiving. 470 inhabitants were interviewed, highlighting the use of more than 200 plants (70 families), employed in 10 sectors of use. LEKs differences surfaced among the most cited species: in Valposchiavo, largù (resin of Larix decidua Mill.) was used to prepare an ointment for thorns and splinters, in Valmalenco its wood represented a natural resource in home-building; since ancient times, in Valmalenco, the decoction of daneda’s inflorescences (Achillea moschata Wulfen) has been a daily remedy for dyspepsia disorders, and the Swiss remember malenca people crossing the frontier during World War II to harvest its flowers as a source of income; elderberry was used in Valmalenco as ink; St. John’s worth oleolite for otitis as a peculiarity of Swiss border tradition. Despite the same natural environment, socio-economic and historical contexts may have influenced the bio-cultural popularity of traditional uses in Valmalenco and Valposchiavo. At the same time, homogenization may have occurred between the two LEKs over time, leading to the sharing of plants and popular uses. (S. 81.4)