“Please list your favourite …”: How to measure online plant knowledge as a component of plant awareness

Societal Impact Statement: Plant awareness disparity is a widespread phenomenon in modern societies. It erroneously implies that plants are not necessary for humans. Understanding what plants people know and can describe is crucial for evaluating one of four central aspects of plant awareness disparity. This study proposes a new methodology for assessing the knowledge of plants online by analysing the vocabulary used to name and describe plants. Despite the high number of listed plants, both names and vocabulary used to describe plants were homogenised and limited. Educational effort is needed to enhance plant vocabulary so that plants can become the subject of conversation. Summary: This study addresses the methodological gap in plant awareness studies by examining adult knowledge of plants from eco-semiotic and quantitative linguistic perspectives. Understanding what plants people know and can describe and how they do this is crucial for bridging the gap in plant knowledge and addressing plant awareness disparity. The novel methodology involved analysing responses from an online questionnaire distributed to residents of Tartu, Estonia. The questionnaire covered various aspects of plant knowledge, including the ability to list, describe and explain the importance of different plant categories: wild trees and shrubs, wild herbs and cultivated trees and shrubs. Data analysis included word count, contextual analysis and mapping of plant-related vocabulary used by participants. The study found significant diversity in the plants named by 149 adult participants, with 74 wild tree taxa and 225 wild herb taxa mentioned. Cultivated trees and shrubs were also widely recognised (168 taxa). Most descriptions focused on plant parts such as leaves and flowers, demonstrating rather poor vocabulary. The analysis highlighted the influence of personal experiences, cultural practices and educational background on plant knowledge. The results indicate robust plant knowledge among the study's participants, likely influenced by Local Ecological Knowledge and comprehensive school curricula on botany. However, the study also detected a homogenisation of plant knowledge, potentially due to educational and popularisation efforts. The methodology demonstrated the potential of using linguistic analysis to understand plant knowledge and awareness, offering insights into enhancing plant-related education.