Loss of native herb - maybe?

Hi, sorry if this is not the suitable forum for this topic, but it's the closest I found to it.

When I was younger, maybe 7 to 10 years ago, Satureja (not sure if Montana or Hortensis) would grow wildly on a hilltop between limestone rocks, and my family used to forage some of it.

Nowadays, I regained my interest in nature and environment, so I went to look for this herb in the same place where it used to grow, but I can't find any of it.

Can a whole species disappear like this? And what could be the causes? Should I try and replant it?

What a disappointment!  Maybe there has been some subtle change in the environment where the zahatar used to grow, like it is more or less shady, or another more competitive plant took over. I have seen with different wild plants in my yard that a thing that was once common becomes less so and a new plant takes over in time.

Maybe if you can find a plot of the herb somewhere else, try transplanting a small amount or growing from seed.

Mk Neal wrote:What a disappointment!  Maybe there has been some subtle change in the environment where the zahatar used to grow, like it is more or less shady, or another more competitive plant took over.

I don't know if this counts, but the whole area was a battleground for a good time now, along with bombings on residential areas close to it. (Syria civil war)

Maybe the pollutants altered the soil composition? 90% of the plants that grows now are either spiky or poisonous.

I'll visit another place and look if I can find any zaatar, and see what I can do.

Where I live, I have had plants come and go.

There are a lot of factors why this happens.  In my case it is drought.

Many plants are annual and rely on reseeding every year. If there is not enough rain the plants will not live long enough to make new seeds.

That is just one possible reason.

I feel that plant would be easy to grow where someone can tend to it and give it some love:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satureja

Thanks Anne, that could be it.

Should I replant it or will it affect the ecosystem?
Not as much as conventional farming and deforestation is already doing, don't you agree? 😅

So sad to hear that war has destroyed so much.

I wouldn't think twice trying to replant/regrow an area when the source of the destruction comes from human action.

Please please please PLEASE be safe while doing it. If the area has been directly effected you want to worry about what could still be in the soil. Munitions would be my first thought.

If you have the ability to get the soil tested, I would think that might give you some clues to what is going on with the soil.

Reclaim what you can safely and assist the healing of the area. I think that is a noble endeavor.