An Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Use of Medicinal Plants And Their Conservation Status in Mecha Wereda, West Gojjam Zone of Amhara Region, Ethiopia
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Date
2011-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
An ethnobotanical study on the medicinal plants was conducted in Mecha Wereda
which is found in West Gojjam Zone of Amhara National Regional State. It is located about 535
km northwest of Addis Ababa. The objective of the study was to conduct an ethnobotanical
investigation in order to compile and document the use and conservation status of traditional
medicinal plants in the area. The study was carried out from November 23, 2010 to May 1, 2011
to obtain valuable information from 16 selected kebeles of the study area. In each sample kebele
five informants that made up of a total of 80 informants were selected and interviewed. Key
informants were selected by purposive random sampling whereas the other informants were
selected randomly from the local people of the study area. The ethnobotanical data were
gathered through interviewing local communities including local ‘Merigeta’, ‘Debtera’ religious
leaders, ‘Balezar’, students and kebele administrators. Primary data were collected using guided
field walk, group discussion, semi-structured interview and participatory observation in the field.
The inhabitants of the study area used medicinal plants not only for medicinal purpose but also
food, shelter, forage, construction and other cultural uses. In the study, a total of 107 medicinal
plants belonging to 96 genera and 52 families were recorded and used to treat both human and
livestock ailments. The largest diversity of species recorded belonged to four families including
the Asteraceae (11.2%), Solanaceae (7.47%), Lamiaceae and Fabaceae (4.67%). Shrubby habits
were the major growth form (41.1%) while herbaceous, tree and climbing habits accounted for
36.5%, 15.9% and 6.5% respectively. The study showed that the most frequently used plant parts
for the preparation of traditional medicine were leaves (29.8%) followed by roots (22.4%) and
fruits (11.2%). These medicinal plant parts were processed in various ways of which the major
ones included squeezing (24.9%), powdering (16.6%) and crushing and soaking (infusion)
(14.5%). The most common route of administration was oral (55.4%) followed by dermal
(26.9%). The status of traditional medicinal plants encountered rarely (12.1%), occasionally
(38.4%) and common (49.5%). Among these, 6 (5.7%) of medicinal plant species out of 16
species collected in the homegardens were wild cultivated primarily for the purpose of medicinal
uses. The main threats to medicinal plants in the study area were agricultural expansion,
firewood, construction, grazing and drought. Therefore, it is recommended that cultivation of
medicinal plants should be motivated in homegardens.
Keywords: conservation, ethnobotany, IK, Mecha Wereda, medicinal plants
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Keywords
conservation, ethnobotany, IK, Mecha Wereda, medicinal plants