Sustaining Mediterranean Highlands through Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Transhumance Practices

Esra Per^1*Cengiz Kayacılar²Emre Per³Gökçe Coşkun⁴

• ¹Gazi University, Ankara, Türkiye
• ²Nigde Omer Halisdemir Universitesi, Nigde, Türkiye
• ³Bankacilik Duzenleme ve Denetleme Kurumu, Ankara, Türkiye
• ⁴Antalya Bird Watching Society, Antalya, Türkiye

Traditional ecological knowledge refers to a collective knowledge system shaped by long-term human–nature interactions, encompassing the sustainable use of natural resources and environmental adaptation. This study examines the transhumant pastoral practices sustained for centuries by Yörük communities in Türkiye as a representative model of traditional ecological knowledge. Based on a highland-lowland cycle, this system enables the seasonal and balanced use of natural resources, contributing to the continuity of ecosystem services through the balanced use of natural resources such as water, soil, and pasture. Traditional production tools, shelter forms, and cultural rituals reveal that this knowledge system constitutes both an economic and cultural heritage. However, climate change, water scarcity, demographic shifts, and modernization pressures increasingly threaten this system. The declining number of families maintaining traditional lifestyles weakens intergenerational knowledge transmission and exacerbates local knowledge erosion. The study demonstrates the potential of incorporating traditional ecological knowledge into sustainable agriculture, climate adaptation, and rural development policies. The findings emphasize that such local knowledge systems are of strategic significance not only for cultural preservation but also for developing nature-based solution strategies in the face of current global challenges.