Abstract
BackgroundRemnant forests found in areas that have long been converted to agricultural landscapes are refuges of wild useful plants; and societies inhabiting them are custodians of rich indigenous botanical knowledge. This study was undertaken to document the medicinal plants used by the people living in and around Tara-gedam and Amba remnant forests, northwestern Ethiopia, together with the associated ethnomedicinal knowledge.MethodsData were collected from 105 informants through semi-structured interviews, guided field walk, market survey; and analyzed using standard ethnobotanical analytical tools including ranking and comparison.ResultsA total of 163 medicinal plant species in 145 genera and 67 families were recorded among which Zehneria scabra drew the highest community consensus. Seventy-one percent of the medicinal plants were those used for treating human ailments only, 21% for both human and livestock and 8% for livestock only. Asteraceae, with 14 species, had the highest number of medicinal plant species. The medicinal plants mainly (79.1%) belong to the shrub and herb categories and most of them were sourced from the wild habitats. Leaves and fresh plant materials were more frequently used for medicine preparation than other parts. Protected government and church forests as well as tree propagation in nurseries followed by planting them and local practices constitute the major forest conservation efforts that indirectly protect the medicinal plants in the area. Elders and healers knew more about the medicinal plants, their distribution, the local ethnomedicinal practices and knowledge transfer patterns. Though important for the local healthcare system and with potentials for modern drug discovery, both the plants and the knowledge pool are under threat.ConclusionThe diversity of medicinal plants and the associated indigenous knowledge of Tara-gedam and its environs are of a considerable value to the local community and beyond. There is, therefore, a need for conservation of the vegetation and the medicinal plants along with preservation of the wealth of the indigenous knowledge.
Highlights
The relationship between plants and people is studied in ethnobotany, a field focusing on the study of the indigenous knowledge on how plants are perceived, used and managed [1,2]
Box 400, Woldia, Ethiopia Full list of author information is available at the end of the article error experiments [4]; and this study focuses on the medicinal plants and the associated ethnomedicinal knowledge in the environs of Tara-gedam forest
There are around 6,000 species of vascular plants in Ethiopia, out of which more than 14% are said to have been used as traditional plant medicines (TPMs) [8], while more than 1,000 species have been documented at the National Herbarium (ETH) database
Summary
The relationship between plants and people is studied in ethnobotany, a field focusing on the study of the indigenous knowledge on how plants are perceived, used and managed [1,2]. Indigenous knowledge refers to the knowledge, rules, standards, skills and mental sets generated by and kept in custody of local people in a particular area [3] It is the result of many generations and long years of experiences, careful observations and trial and plants in Ethiopia, out of which more than 14% are said to have been used as traditional plant medicines (TPMs) [8], while more than 1,000 species have been documented at the National Herbarium (ETH) database. The local people, as in other parts of Ethiopia depend on traditional medicine, which mostly relies on medicinal plants, to fulfill their healthcare needs as pointed out by Zegeye [14] Despite this fact, there are no studies on ethnomedicinal plants and the associated knowledge in the environs of Tara-gedam and Amba forests. This study was undertaken to document the medicinal plants used by the people living in and around Tara-gedam and Amba remnant forests, northwestern Ethiopia, together with the associated ethnomedicinal knowledge
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