Applied Ethnobotany: People, Medicinal Plants Use and Conservation Practices in Benishangul Gumuz Regional State of Ethiopia: The future cursed natural resource in the Region

Abstract

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the communities in Wombera District, Benishangual Gumuz Regional State, and Western Ethiopia was carried out from 0ctober, 2019 to October, 2020. The purpose of the study was to document information of medicinal plants and indigenous knowledge on use and conservation of medicinal plants by the communities of Wombera District. A purposive sampling was designed and employed for selection of the study areas (6 sampling sites) and 200 informants (52 males and 18 females) aged between 18-85 years were randomly selected from 6 kebeles. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured questionnaires, interview and, group discussion s. A total of 91 medicinal plants were documented from the study area. Of these 60 were human, 7 veterinary and 24 both human and veterinary medicines. Data were analyzed quantitativelly. The highest number of medicinal plants was collected from wild habitat (64 %), while 33% was collected from home garden, 3% occurred both in wild habitat and home garden. The most plant parts used in treatment of human disease were leaves (34.6%) followed by roots (20.9%). The most frequently mentioned mode of administration was oral (54%) followed by dermal (27.5%) and the least was found to be application through eyes and ears (3%) each. The most common form of medicine preparation was crushing, pounding and homogenizing in water (43.07%) followed by boiling and Fumigating (16%), squeezing(15.45%), chewing(10.7) and the leasts were burning and cooking (5%) each. Deforestation for agriculture, over exploitation, firewood collection, and overgrazing were the main threats of medicinal plants in the study area. The biggest problem of traditional medicinal remedies is the accurate dosage, which sometimes may even kill. Moreover lack of awareness of cultivation in home garden resulted as threats of medicinal patient.