Integrating Ethnobotanical Knowledge and Scientometric Mapping for the Conservation of Medicinal Shrubs in Arid Ecosystems of Algeria

Arid and semi-arid ecosystems face unprecedented threats from climate change and overexploitation, severely impacting native flora. Medicinal shrubs in these regions provide crucial ecosystem services, acting as primary healthcare resources for local communities and stabilizing fragile soils. This study presents a dual-approach methodology to evaluate the ecological and scientific status of medicinal plants in southwestern Algeria. First, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted in the El Abiodh Sidi Cheikh province, revealing a high reliance on key endemic shrub species, highlighting the urgent need for their ecological conservation and sustainable management. Second, to contextualize these local findings within the broader regional research landscape, a comprehensive bibliometric and scientometric analysis of North African medicinal plant research was executed using RStudio and Biblioshiny. The dynamic thematic evolution mapping demonstrated a significant scientific shift from foundational ethnobotanical inventories toward advanced pharmacological validation. However, the bibliometric network analysis identified a critical gap: a severe lack of studies focusing on the ecological resilience, conservation governance, and climate adaptation of these specific arid species. By integrating traditional indigenous knowledge with advanced data-driven bibliometric mapping, this study proposes a framework for policymakers to identify vulnerable botanical resources, thereby guiding future technological innovations and sustainable governance strategies to protect these vital arid ecosystems.