Asfaw Zemede (Professor)Alemayehu Getu2018-07-182023-11-092018-07-182023-11-092017-06http://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/9230This research was conducted in Amaro and Gelana districts in southern Ethiopia to study the plant diversity and traditional medicinal and wild edible plants. The study was carried out between August 2013 and April 2016. Vegetation data were collected from 140 relevés using a square plot of 400 m2 (20 m x 20 m) for trees; 5 m x 5 m and 1 m x 1 m subplots for shrubs and herbs respectively within each relevés. Ethnobotanical data were collected by interviewing 380 informants (200 males and 180 females) aged 18-75 years where 120 were key informants. Ethnobotanical knowledge of traditional plants used as human and veterinary medicine and food was obtained using semi-structured interview administered through faceto- face interaction with the informants. Agglomerative hierarchical classification in R package version R 3.3.2 software was used to identify plant communities and synoptic values were used for identification of the dominant species for naming each plant community. Shannon-Weiner diversity index was applied to quantify species diversity and richness. Quantitative analytical tools for ethnobotanical methods including simple preference ranking, pair-wise ranking, direct matrix ranking, informant consensus factor (ICF) and fidelity level (FL) were employed. Ethnobotanical knowledge held by different informant categories was compared. One hundred eighty species belonging to 121 genera and 58 families were documented of which 140 and 107 were from Amaro and Gelana districts respectively. Out of the whole plant species, eight were found Ethiopian endemic. The Asteraceae and Fabaceae stood first contributing 15 (8.33%) species each followed by the Lamiaceae (12, 6.66%). Five plant community types were identified in each District. A total of 147 plant species were recorded that are used to treat 66 human and 28 livestock ailments in the two districts. Of the total species, 90 (61.22%) of them were obtained from natural habitats. The families best represented were Fabaceae and Lamiaceae 12 (8.16%) species each followed by Asteraceae (11, 7.48% species). Of the total number of medicinal plants, 112 (76.19%) species were reported to be used to treat human ailments and 42 (28.57%) for livestock ailments. Herbs were the most widely used plants, accounting for 63 (42.85%) species. Common diseases in the study area were wound for which 19 (7.88%) species were reported and 15 (6.22%) species for stomachache. The local people of Amaro and Gelana districts use Myrica salicifolia to treat the highest number (10, 4.14%) of ailments followed by Phytolacca dodecandera and Solanum incanum 7 (2.90%) each. The most frequently used plant parts were leaves (93, 38.58%) followed by roots (41, 17.01%). The most widely used method of preparation of traditional herbal medicines was decoction (58, 24.06%). The majority (216, 89.62%) of remedies were prepared from freshly collected plant parts. The common route of administration was oral (133, 53.18%) followed by dermal (77, 31.95%). The most cited medicinal plants were Acmella caulirhiza 51 (3.58%) and Agarista salicifolia 44 (3.09%). Highest ICF values were recorded in Amaro District for rabies; and the highest FL values of human medicinal plants were recorded for Echinops kebericho (100%) against breast cancer. In Gelana District, the ailments bleeding and hypertension scored the highest ICF value (0.96) and the highest FL values were obtained for Rumex abyssinicus (100%) against Ascariasis. Myrica salicifolia was the most preferred species to treat stomachache of human beings while Hagenia abyssinica was the most utilized medicinal plant species in Amaro District. Most of the medicinal plants were not widely traded for medicinal purposes, but mostly for other non-medicinal uses. The highest average number of medicinal plants was cited by men (77, 52.38%), by older people (84, 57.14%) and by illiterate people (76, 51.70%). The highest Shannon-Wiener diversity range values of medicinal species were 3.90 and 3.67 for community III and IV in Nekora and Dance forest, respectively. The two districts furnished 80 plant species consumed wild by the community and the plant species belong to 52 genera and 32 families. The Fabaceae with ten (12.5%) and Tiliaceae with five (6.25%) species were the most represented families with high number of WEPs. Most of the WEPS were shrubs represented with 34 (42.50%) species. Fruit was found to be the most edible plant part, accounting for 54 (67.50%) species, and mostly taken as raw. Of the reported medicinal and wild edible plant species, 63 species were reported for more than two uses. The group discussions and pair wise ranking results indicated that agricultural expansion was the principal factor threatening medicinal and WEPs in the study area. The forests, medicinal and wild edible plants in Amaro and Gelana districts are under pressure due mainly to ever-increasing anthropogenic influences. There is an urgent need for establishment of community based forest priority area (park) in the districts for conservation of forest in general and medicinal and wild edible plants in particular. Key words: Amaro, ethnobotany, floristic composition, fidelity level, Gelana, informant consensus, wild edible plantsenAmaroEthnobotanyFloristic compositionFidelity levelGelanaInformant consensusWild edible plantsThesis