Ethnobotanical studies on foraging are essential for documenting neglected or previously unknown wild food plants, which may be crucial for promoting the diversification of food sources and contributing to food security and sovereignty. The Pashtuns of the Marwat tribe in NW Pakistan are renowned for their traditional customs and food systems. Studying the wild food plants (WFPs) and their associated bio-cultural diversity is quintessential for fostering food security and sovereignty in the region. The research presented here investigated the area’s wild food plants traditionally gathered and consumed. The field survey was conducted in 2023 with 87 study participants. A total of 41 plant species belonging to 24 botanical families was documented. The findings include food uses for Atriplex tatarica, Amaranthus graecizans, and Beta vulgaris subsp. maritima that have rarely been recorded in Pakistan. Moreover, the use of Citrulus colocynthus fruits in jam and Zygophyllum indicum leaves and stems in beverages are novel contributions to the gastronomy of NW Pakistan. The comparison with other food ethnobotanical studies conducted in North Pakistan suggests some similarities between the Lakki Marwat traditional WFPs and those from other semi-arid areas in North Pakistan, both Pashtun and non-Pashtun. While the findings underline the significant role of WFPs in local cuisine, we observed that this local knowledge is also threatened: the rapid spread of fast and industrialized food, modernization, and cultural dilution has led to an alarming reduction in these practices among the younger generations. Therefore, suitable measures to safeguard traditional plants, food knowledge, practices, and the associated culture are urgently needed. The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated, and it is crucial that we act now. Furthermore, preserving wild food plant-related cultural heritage may be fundamental to promoting food security and public health.

Physiographic, geographic, and environmental gradients influence the development of plant communities. This study assessed how environmental gradients affect riparian vegetation along the River Panjkora, aiming to find relationships between vegetation and abiotic factors through indicator species analysis. Vegetation was sampled using the quadrat method (1 × 1 m² for herbs, 5 × 5 m² for shrubs, 10 × 10 m² for trees), and soil samples were analyzed for edaphic variables. Indicator species and ordination analyses were performed using PCORD (version 5) and CANOCO (version 4.5) software to understand species diversity. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) identified species patterns and their links to environmental factors. A total of 216 plant species were recorded across seven stations, grouped into five communities. Community 01, Melia azedarach, Punica granatum, and Asparagus racemosus, are affected by Cr, p ≤ 0.03; Fe, p ≤ 0.01; Zn, p ≤ 0.04; and Mg, p = 0.03. On the other hand, Community 02, Populus alba, Debregeasia saeneb, and Youngia japonica, are controlled by Co, p = 0.01; pH, p = 0.03; Cd, p = 0.04; EC, p = 0.03; and TDSs, p = 0.03. The third community, with indicator species Pinus roxburghii, Rydingia limbata, and Cheilanthes pteridioides, is strongly influenced by Cr, p ≤ 0.05; Cu, p ≤ 0.03; TDSs, p = 0.02; and Zn, p = 0.03. Community 04, consisting of Ficus carica, Polygonum plebeium, and Avena sativa, is shaped by Na, p = 0.01; K, p ≤ 0.05; and Fe, p = 0.04. The fifth community, represented by Ficus palmata, Rosa multiflora, and Heliotropium europaeum, is influenced by pH, p ≤ 0.04 and Mn, p = 0.03. DCA displayed maximum gradient lengths of 6.443 (eigenvalue 0.742) on axis 1, 5.222 (0.662) on axis 2, 4.053 (0.600) on axis 3, and 4.791 (0.464) on axis 4. Soil pH, heavy metals (Cr, Fe, Zn, Mg, Co, Cd, Cu, Na, K, and Mn), EC, and TDSs were the main factors shaping community structure. The indicator species analysis is recommended to identify and conserve the rare species and native flora of a particular region.

Fungi is one of the multiferious group of organisms in thw world. They play important ecological roles, including nutrient cycling, decomposition, and mycorrhizal symbiosis. They also provide important nutritional and medicinal resources, and are widely used for treating various diseases. Pakistan’s have diverse ecosystems and long history of wild mushroom use, information on the diversity, distribution and medicinal potential of wild edible mushrooms remains scarce and has not been comprehensively integrated. This study addresses this gap by reviewing poorly documented fungal diversity and ethnomycological knowledge in Pakistan, with implications for conservation, sustainable harvesting and future research. Data were collected, oranized and compiled through a comprehensive survey of the published literature, including 162 research articles up to 2026, retrieved from different search engines, including PubMed, Google Scholar, Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect, ResearchGate, PakMediNet and local research repositories. The relevant studies were identified by using keywords, “wild edible mushrooms,” “medicinal mushrooms,” “ethnomycology,” “mushroom traditional uses,” and “mushrooms in Pakistan. Non-English literature, news articles and conference papers were excluded. A total of 132 edible mushroom species belonging to 39 families were documented. . The dominant family was Agaricaceae (22 species), followed by Boletaceae (14 species) and Morchellaceae (11 species). In present study genus Morchella was the most species-rich, with 12 species. Geographically, Azad Jammu and Kashmir had the highest recorded species diversity (74.2%), followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (64.4%), Sindh (11.4%) and Gilgit Baltistan (9.8%), which remained comparatively unexplored. Of the 132 species, 88 (66.7%) have reported medicinal properties, with antioxidant, antitumor, anticancer and antimicrobial potential. Major research gaps included a lack of medicinal-use data for 44 species and complete information gaps for 10 species. Overall, Pakistan is a hubof wild edible mushroom diversity with reported medicinal potential, emphasizing the need for comprehensive exploration, molecular identification and documentation of traditional knowledge for conservation and sustainable use.

Nannorrhops ritchieana (Mazri) forests are found in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Oman. These forests are ecologically and economically important to local communities and exhibit complex spatial distributions. This research examines the distribution of Mazri forests and their responses to varying phosphorus levels across different climatic zones. We collected data from 508 plots in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region of Pakistan, gathering 500 g of soil from each plot for phosphorus analysis, along with measurements of abundance and various traits. A distribution map was constructed to assess the impact of phosphorus levels on Mazri forest distribution and traits across climatic zones. Using a PCA biplot, we visualized the abundance and density and studied the effects of different climatic and environmental factors. Our findings suggest that phosphorus levels do not significantly influence the distribution of Mazri forests, which vary across different climatic regions. Forests are stable in the eastern wet mountain zone (EWMZ) and northern dry mountain zone (NDMZ), although without a significant pattern. A weak positive correlation was observed in the western dry mountain zone (WDMZ). In contrast, the Sulaiman piedmont zone (SPMZ) presented minor variations in abundance, indicating that phosphorus, in conjunction with other edaphic and climatic factors, affects Mazri forest distribution and abundance. Further research is needed to investigate the combined effects of various soil nutrients and climatic factors on the distribution, abundance, and functional traits of Mazri forests across different regions.