Ethnobotanical study of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plant uses and threatening factors around the Malga District, Southern Ethiopia

The study conducted in Malga district in 2019 aimed at documenting indigenous medicinal plants use among the Kebeles community, and the factors threatening local knowledge on medicinal plants before suggesting ways to overcome such threats. A total of 100 informants were selected and snowball sampling techniques were used. Ethnobotanical data were collected using semi-structured interviews, field observations, guided field walk, and group discussion with traditional medicine practitioners. The ethnobotanical study reveals that 60 medicinal plant species are inventoried and are distributed across 55 genera and 37 families while they are used as a cure for 40 ailments. Of these, 36 medicinal plants were reported for human ailments treatment, 7 for livestock, and 17 for both human and livestock ailment treatment. Leave were reported as most frequently utilized plant part with 45.78%. Intestinal parasite ailments were reported as one of the common problems along with oral administration. Informant consensus analysis showed that ailments like rabies, poisoning, and snakebite scored the highest value (0.98), while and pneumonia and jaundice scored the lowest values (0.63). Agricultural expansion, firewood, deforestation, and cash crop expansions were reported as driving factors for the loss of medicinal plants. Here the Wereda administration, as well as concerned governmental and non-governmental bodies should interven to minimize the loss of medicinal plant and associated knowledge.   Key words: Malga Wereda, medicinal plant, Indigenous knowledge, Informant, consensus.