Use And Management Of Medicinal Plants By Indigenous People Of Ejaji Area (chelya Woreda) West Shoa Ethiopia An Ethnobotanical Approach

The purpose of the study was to organize and document information on use, management andrnconservation of medicinal plants by Chelya Woreda people (Ejaji area), West Shoa, WesternrnEthiopia. The area lies between latitudes 9° 02' and 9º1' North and longitudes 37° 25'rnand 37º 16' East. The study involved traditional healers, knowledgeable elders and localrncommunities. Various ethnobotanical techniques were used to collect and analyze the data:rnsemi- structured interview, guided field walk and observation, group discussion, preferencernraking and paired comparison, use diversity matrix and fidelity level index, combined withrndescriptive statistical analysis. Seventy-two informants from 9 kebeles and 36 quadrats werernincluded in the study. A total of 188 plant species (145 from wild, 31 from home garden andrn12 plant species from crop field and agricultural field) distributed in 70 families and 151rngenera, were collected from the study area and identified. Out of these, a total of 89rnmedicinal plants distributed in 75 genera and 46 families were recorded, of which 48rnspecies (53.9% ) are used for treatment of 47 human and 27 species (30.3%) for 34rnlivestock aliments, while 14 species (15.7%) are used to treat both livestock andrnhuman ailments. Herbaceous species constitute the largest number with 28 speciesrn(31.5%) followed by shrubs 27 species (30.3%) and trees make up the third growthrnform with 24 species (26.9%) harvested for medicinal value. In addition to theirrnmedicinal value plants in the area are utilized for forage, fencing, fire wood,rnconstruction and spiritual and cultural needs. The highest informant consensus wasrndocumented for the plants Ocimum urticfoluim (Hancabbii adii) cited by 64 (88.8%)rninformants for its medicinal value treating fibril illness. Allium sativum, Lepidiumrnsativum and Nicotiana tabacum are cited by 62 (86%), 52 (72.2%) and 48 (66.7%)rninformants ranking 2nd, 3rd and 4th respectively for their medicinal value. Oralrnadministration is the dominant route (60.3%), followed by dermal route (20.1%) inrnwhich pounding, powdering, crushing, squeezing, smashing, chewing, burning, steamrnbath, dry bath and rubbing are recorded methods of preparation techniques.rnPreference ranking, use reports, paired comparison and fidelity level index showedrnthe efficacy, popularity and preference people have for some species over the otherrnfor different uses and in treating ailments. Modernization and acculturation haverncontributed in making the younger generation unwilling to practice and retain traditionalrnknowledge. Environmental degradation, charcoal making, collection of fuel wood,rnconstruction materials and the need for agricultural land resulted in major threat tornmedicinal plants and indigenous knowledge. Indigenous practices, cultural, spiritual andrnprime restrictions for collection have contributed to the management and conservation ofrnmedicinal plants. On the contrary, this cultural and spiritual believes were discovered torndeteriorate (threaten) the local knowledge associated with medicinal plants.rnKey words: - Ethnobotany, indigenous knowledge, ailments, plant use-categories,rninformant consensus, treatment, harvest

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