Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants in Guji Agro-pastorilists, Blue Hora District of Borana Zone, Oromia Region, Ethiopia
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Date
2011-04
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants and associated indigenous knowledge was conducted
between March and June 2010 in Bule Hora District, Southern Oromia, Ethiopia. The objective
of the study was to collect, record, organize and analyze information on the use, management and
conservation of medicinal plants as well as status of indigenous knowledge of the local people.
This area lies between latitudes 50 30 and 50 50 North and longitudes 380 0 and 380 30 East.
The study involved traditional healers, knowledgeable elders and local communities. Different
ethnobotanical techniques were used to collect and analyze the data such as semi – structured
interview, guided field walk and observation, group discussion, preference ranking and paired
comparison, use diversity matrix and fidelity level index, combined with descriptive statistical
analysis. Sixty informants from eight kebeles were included in the study. A total of 106 plant
species distributed in 98 genera and 46 families were collected from the study area and
identified. In terms of number of species, Asteraceae appeared as the most prominent family that
contains ten species in eight genera, followed by Rubiaceae containing nine species in eight
genera and Lamiaceae that contain seven species in seven genera. From the total collected
plants, 62 species (58.4%) are used for the treatment of 37 human ailments and 22 species
(20.8%) for 25 livestock ailments, while 22 species (20.8%) are used to treat both livestock and
human ailments. Widely used plant parts for human and livestock health care include leaves,
roots, seeds, fruits and stems. Higher numbers of species (56.1%) were harvested for their leaves
followed by roots, bark and stems (14.4%, 9.85% and 8.3% respectively). Large numbers (91.5%)
of medicinal plants were cited to be used in fresh form. Shrub elements constitute the largest
number with 45 species (42.5%) followed by herbaceous, 29 species (27.4%) and trees make the
third growth forms with 17 species (16.0%) harvested for medicinal value.Oral administration is
the dominant route (67.2%), followed by dermal (21.1%) in which pounding, crushing, chewing,
rubbing, dry bath etc are recorded methods of preparation techniques. Modernization,
introduction of new religion and acculturation have contributed in making the younger
generation unwilling to practice and retain traditional knowledge. Even though the study area
possesses diverse natural vegetation, the environment is under serious threat, mainly due to
human induced pressure such as agricultural activities, fire wood collection, charcoal production
and the need for construction materials. These have great effects on the availability of medicinal
plants in particular and natural resources in general. Awareness raising on sustainable
utilization of medicinal plants and their in – situ and ex- situ conservation are recommended.
Key words: Ethnobotany, indigenous knowledge, ailments, medicinal plants.
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Keywords
Ethnobotany, indigenous knowledge, ailments, medicinal plants