By Kebu Balemie Jima Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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FLORISTIC DIVERSITY OF JORGO WATO FOREST AND ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF MEDICINAL AND WILD EDIBLE PLANTS IN NOLE KABA DISTRICT, WEST WOLLEGA, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA By Kebu Balemie Jima Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 2019 i FLORISTIC DIVERSITY OF JORGO WATO FOREST AND ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF MEDICINAL AND WILD EDIBLE PLANTS IN NOLE KABA DISTRICT, WEST WOLLEGA, OROMIA REGION, ETHIOPIA By Kebu Balemie Jima A Dissertation Submitted to The Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management Presented in Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Biology: Botanical Sciences) Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June 2019 ii ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY GRADUATE PROGRAMMES This is to certify that the Dissertation prepared by Kebu Balemie Jima, entitled: Floristic diversity of Jorgo Wato Forest and ethnobotanical study of medicinal and wild edible plants in Nole Kaba District, West Wollega, Oromia Region, Ethiopia and submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Biology: Botanical Sciences) complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality Signed by Examining Board: Name Signature Date 1. ____________________ (Examiner) __________________________ ___________________ 2. ____________________ (Examiner) __________________________ ___________________ 3. ____________________ (Advisor) ___________________________ ___________________ 4. ___________________ (Advisor ) ___________________________ ___________________ 5. ___________________ (Chairman) __________________________ ___________________ iii ABSTRACT Floristic diversity of Jorgo Wato Forest and ethnobotanical study of medicinal and wild edible plants used in Nole Kaba District, West Wollega, Oromia Region, Ethiopia Kebu Balemie Jima, PhD Dissertation Addis Ababa University, 2019 The research was carried out in Nole Kaba District to study the floristic diversity, structure, composition of Jorgo Wato Forest (JWF) and ethnobotany of medicinal and wild edible plants used in selected areas of Nole Kaba District. Floristic data were collected from a total of 73 plots applying standard plot sizes. The number of individuals, dbh (diameter at breast height), and height of woody species (dbh > 2.5 cm) were enumerated and measured in each plot; their cover abundance was estimated. Ethnobotanical data were documented through semi- structured interviews (371 general informants of whom 174 were females & (12 key informants), group discussions, field observations, market surveys, and pairwise comparisons. Forest structural attributes were computed using descriptive statistics; plant communities were classified using cluster analysis. Redundancy Analysis was employed to analyze relationship between species distribution and environmental factors. Shannon diversity indices were employed to estimate species diversity. ANOVA, Sorenson's similarity, and correlation analysis were computed to analyze mean differences, similarity and relationships in floristic data. Ethnobotanical data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and quantitative indices such as Factor of Informant Consensus (Fic), Fidelity Level (FL), Pairwise Ranking, Correlation, Sorenson Similarity, Use Value and Cultural Importance Index (CI). ANOVA was employed to test the variation in ethnobotanical knowledge among informants and Multiple Linear Regressions (MLR) was employed to determine the strength of the influence of variables that contributed to the knowledge variation. The floristic study found a total of 237 species belonging to 192 genera and 82 families. The highest Important Value Index was recorded for Pouteria adolfi-friederici, followed by Syzygium guineense subsp. afromontanum. Five plant community types were identified. Species diversity and evenness were 3.73 and 0.80, respectively. Altitude and slope significantly influenced (p < 0.05) species distribution across plant community types. One hundred sixty two medicinal plants belonging to 135 genera and 65 families were found from the ethnomedicinal and ethnoveterinsary study. The highest proportion of medicinal plants were herbs (47.5%), followed by shrubs (27.8%). Ehretia cymosa (FL = 100%), Pentas schimperiana (FL = 100%) and Loxogramme abyssinica (FL = 94%) were among the medicinal plants showing high informant consensus. Age, healing experience, gender, and proximity to forest revealed significant variation and these together accounted for 34.7% (R2 = 0.347) of the total variation in ethnomedicinal knowledge among informants. The ethnobotanical study also found 39 WEPs species belonging to 31 genera and 27 families that are consumed by the community. Nutritional analysis of selected wild edible fruits found rich nutritional composition in the fruits. Medicinal plants with high informant consensus and wild edible fruits (e.g. Carissa spinarum, Syzygium guineense subsp. afromontanum, Ximenia americana) with rich nutritional composition are recommended for further development and conservation. Keywords: Ethnobotany, floristic diversity, indigenous knowledge, medicinal plants, wild edible plants, iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am very much grateful to my supervisor Prof. Zemede Asfaw for his guidance, advice, providing reading materials, comments, and inputs during course work, seminars, independent study, research proposal and thesis writing. I would also like to gratefully acknowledge Prof. Sebsebe Demissew for his guidance, comments, inputs, on my independent study, research proposal, taxonomic determination, and constructive comments on this thesis. I would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr. Gemedo Dalle for his constructive comments on research proposal and thesis. I would also like to gratefully acknowledge the late Prof. Ensermu Kelbessa for his consistent advice, comment, encouragement, and hospitality during course work, seminars and at the beginning of my research. I would like to acknowledge the Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management for allowing me to pursue my PhD study. I would like also to acknowledge the staff members of the Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management: Prof. Zerihun Woldu, Prof. Sileshi Nemomissa, Dr. Tamrat Bekele, Dr. Bikila Warkineh, Dr. Ermias Lulekal, and Dr. Tigist Wondimu for their good interactions and encouragement during my study period. Dr. Bikila and Dr. Ermias are acknowledged specially for their encouragement and swift responses to issues related to students’ academic affairs. I would like also to extend my gratitude to the staff of the National Herbarium Mr. Melaku Wondafrash, Ms. Shewangziw Lemma, Mr. Shambel Alemu, and Mr. Wege Abebe for permitting me to use the herbarium facility for identification of herbarium specimens. I would also like to gratefully acknowledge the Ethiopian Biodiversity Institute (EBI) for study leave and logistic supports. I would like to gratefully acknowledge the following individuals Mr. Admasu Jaleta, Mr. Shuma Hunda, Mr. Wobo Aba Qoro, Mr. Belay Oljra (local guides), v Seifebeza Begashaw (technician, EBI), Mr. Debela Beshada, Mr. Tamene Sheleto, Mr. Raya Hunde, and Mr. Alemu Tadesse (drivers, EBI), Mr. Getu (veterinary expert) and Mr. Abdeta (health expert) in Nole Kaba District for their assistance and hospitality during field data collection. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to informants including traditional healers, elders, and young who are the library of indigenous knowledge and who gave their consent and shared me their empirical ethnobotanical knowledge. I wish to extend my sincere thanks to development agents, local leaders of the study district and sites/KEBELES leaders. I am indebted to the following staff member of EBI Mr. Yeshitila Mekbib and Dr. Tamene Yohannis, for their consistent encouragement, Zegebreal Tamrat and Yared Mesfin for their assistance in developing map of the study area. I am also indebted to Mr. Getnet, Mr. Ashenafi Ayenew for material support and printing, Mr. Abreham Aseffa, Dr. Misikir Tesema, Mr. Tesfaye W/Semayat and Mr. Basazen Fantahun for their cooperation in printing and encouragement. I like to acknowledge Mr. Teshome Gelana, Mr. Delesa Angasa, Mr. Hailu Nigussie, W/ro Anchinalu Tirukelem, W/ro Zenebesh, Dr. Abiyot Berhanu, Dr. Melese Mariyo, Dr. Feleke Weldeyes, Dr. Tesfaye Awas and PhD students who have encouraged me during my study are acknowledged. I would also like to thank Oromia Forest and Wildlife Enterprise and National Meteorological Service for providing me information. Finally, I gratefully acknowledge my families who tirelessly encouraged me throughout my study periods. vi TABLE OF CONTENT ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................................................. IV ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .................................................................................................................. V CHAPTER ONE ...................................................................................................................................... 1 1. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background ............................................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Statement of the problem ....................................................................................................... 3 1.3 Research questions