Plant Diversity and Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants in Yayo and Hurumu Districts, Ilu Abba Bor Zone of Oromia Region, Southwest Ethiopia
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2020-06-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This study was conducted in Yayo and Hurumu districts, Oromia Region, Southwest Ethiopia during 2016 to 2019 with the aim of investigating plant diversity and ethnomedicinal and wild edible plants. To collect vegetation data, a total of 96 quadrats in which 20 m x 20 m major quadrat, while 5 m x 5 m, and 2 m x 2 m subplots were established for shrubs and herbaceous plant species respectively. Transects were laid at a distance of 500 m apart from each other, the first line transect was established randomly. The successive quadrats were established along altitudinal gradients. Altitude, latitude, longitude were recorded using GPS. Plant species with DBH >2.5 cm, height >2 m were documented. For those plants having a height < 2 m and DBH < 2.5 cm were recorded as seedlings or saplings. For ethnobotanical data collections, 396 informants were interviewed. 52 key informants were purposively selected. FGD, participant observation and market survey were made. For plant diversity analysis, Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’) was used. Community cluster analyses of the forests were performed with the help of R software. Density, frequency, DBH, IVI, and BA were computed. Descriptive techniques were also used for ethnobotanical data analysis. A total of 298 (184 from quadrats and 114 outside) plant species in 235 genera and 93 families were reported. Asteraceae was the most species rich family represented by 27 followed by Fabaceae that contributed 24 species. Six community types: Antiaris toxicaria - Celtis africana, Justicia schimperiana - Vepris dainellii, Carissa spinarum - Trichilia dregeana, Apodytes dimidiata - Croton macrostachyus, Rubus apetalus - Vernonia amygdalina, Clematis simensis - Trema orientalis community types were identified. The study area was characterized by diversified plant species with an average diversity index (H’) of 3.4. The local communities possess rich knowledge on the use of plants. A total of 172 plant species were used for the traditional medicine and 22 used as wild edible plants. The highest values of ICF (0.93) were recorded for gastro-intestinal ailments. The highest FL was recorded for Thalictrum rhynchocarpum (97%). Anthropogenic pressure including firewood and agricultural expansion were identified as the factors that could be seen as threats of plant species of the study area.
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Ethnobotany, Medicinal Plants, Plant Diversity, Wild Edible Plants, Yayo and Hurumu Districts