Christopher McCarthy

This 19-month study examines how ethnobotanical knowledge systems are being reshaped among nomadic communities in Mongolia’s Gobi Desert. Building on my preliminary research recently published in an ethnobiology journal, this project investigates the processes through which this knowledge adapts to rapid socio-ecological change. These changes include expanding mining operations, intensifying climate impacts such as drought and desertification, and shifting economic opportunities drawing youth to urban centers. The research employs a multi-method approach to examine three interconnected dimensions: how emerging markets influence which plant knowledge is valued and circulated; how plants feature in cultural identity practices and ceremonial traditions; and how knowledge is negotiated between generations in contexts of changing lifestyles. Through analysis of economic contexts for traditional plant use, documentation of cultural and ceremonial plant practices, and observation of intergenerational knowledge exchanges, the project will reveal how traditional ecological knowledge functions as a dynamic system rather than static information. The research contributes to anthropological understanding of knowledge transformation in rapidly changing environments while supporting community efforts to maintain cultural continuity. Findings will inform approaches to biocultural diversity conservation that recognize the adaptive capacity of traditional knowledge systems and the agency of nomadic communities in navigating environmental and social change.