Ethnobotanical Study of Wild and Semi-Wild Edible Plants in Addi Arkay District, Northwestern Ethiopia.

Abstract

The exploration of wild and semi-wild edible plants (WEPs) has received global attention as valuable alternative food sources. This study explored and documented the indigenous knowledge of WEPs within the Addi Arkay District of Ethiopia. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 385 informants, including 355 general informants selected through systematic random sampling and 30 purposively selected key informants. The analysis employed the frequency of citations, UVs, preference ranking, DMR, Jaccard similarity index (JSI), t-tests, and one-way ANOVA. In the study area, 42 species belonging to 28 families were identified as WEPs. The t-test and one-way ANOVA results revealed that indigenous knowledge of WEPs in the study area was significantly influenced by sociodemographic (age, gender, education, and informant types) and socioeconomic factors (occupation). Greater knowledge among elders underscores the need to preserve and transmit this wisdom to younger generations. Moraceae was the dominant family (9.5%), shrubs represented the largest growth form (42.9%), and fruits were the most commonly used plant part (64.3%). Most species (26, 61.9%) were collected from natural forests. Fruits were the most commonly used (61.9%). The most common preparation and consumption methods were fresh and raw (71.43%). The frequency of citations, use values, and JSI ranged from 83.38% to 4.16%, 0.97% to 0.03%, and 9.68%-95.83%, respectively. Diospyros mespiliformis was the most preferred WEP, with Cordia africana and D. mespiliformis being the most common multipurpose species. The peak collection occurred from September to November, and Ziziphus spina-christi and D. mespiliformis were the most marketable species. Deforestation, fuelwood extraction, and house construction represent the primary threats to WEPs. The WEPs in the study area support food security, nutrition, livelihood, and cultural values. Future research should focus on nutritional and phytochemical analyses, conservation, domestication, and the sustainable commercialization of nutraceutical WEPs.