Vol. 7(3), pp. 202-210, March, 2015 DOI: 10.5897/IJBC2015.0822 Article Number: 65A316D51947 International Journal of Biodiversity ISSN 2141-243X Copyright © 2015 and Conservation Author(s) retain the copyright of this article http://www.academicjournals.org/IJBC Full Length Research Paper Medicinal plants use and conservation practices in Jimma Zone, South West Ethiopia Debela Hunde Feyssa, Chemeda Abdeta, Techale Berhan* and Manju Sharma College of Agriculture & Veterinary Medicine, Jimma University, Ethiopia. Received 2 February, 2015; Accepted 16 March, 2015 Traditional medicine has continued to be the most affordable and easily accessible source of treatment in the primary healthcare system of Ethiopia. However, the medicinal plants used for such treatments are becoming increasingly rare and vulnerable to extinction because of improper utilization and conservation practices. Hence, this paper was initiated with the aim to assess the use, management and conservation practices of medicinal plants in some selected districts of Jimma Zone, south west Ethiopia. Ethnobotanical methods such as focus group discussions, key informant interview, semistructured interview and field walks were used to collect ethnobotanical data on use and management practices of medicinal plants in the study area. Data collected were classified into the use of the plants and management practice. Data of the semistructured interview was analyzed using SPSS version 16 software. The result revealed that a total of 69 plant species were identified in the study area, of which 30 are nutraceuticals, 30 are collected at wild habitat and 39 are cultivated. Source of medicinal plants include: cultivation in home gardens, live fences, crop fields and wild collection from the nearby environment. The cultivation practice include home gardens, mixed in field crops, live fences and agro- forestry. About 87% of respondents explained that they get medicinal plants easily in the study area and 10% explained that it is difficult. About 76% of respondents explained that medicinal plants are not sold in the market and 23% responded marketability of medicinal plants. About 33% of informants explained that medicinal plants are under threat and 67% explained that they are not threatened. Focus group discussion and key informant interview revealed that people conserve medicinal plant in live fences, home gardens, and they cultivate some species because of their nutraceutical value. They interpreted that there is no specific conservation activities targeted to medicinal planted by extension program. This indicates the necessary strategy and conservation of medicinal plants in the study area. Postharvest handling is not commonly known for many medicinal plants because they are collected and used immediately. Therefore, local people use their knowledge nowadays in this region. The resources require an urgent attention in research and policy which should include training on knowledge of medicinal plant use and management in cultivating, production, postharvest handling, promoting their use and sustainable utilization. Key words: Conservation, medicinal plants, Jimma, Kersa. INTRODUCTION Traditional medicine has continued to be the most affordable healthcare system of developing countries. The need is and easily accessible source of treatment in the primary more pressing for resource poor communities and the local Feyssa et al. 203 therapy is the only means of medical treatment for such of medicinal plants was carried out by Awas and Demissew communities (Haile and Delenasaw, 2007). These medical in southwestern Ethiopia (2009). However, there is no systems are heavily dependent on various plant species comprehensive systematic study on the use and conser- and plant based products (Jansen, 1981). It is estimated vation practices of medicinal plants in the current study that 70–80% of people worldwide rely chiefly on traditional, districts. These demanded an urgent attention to conserve largely herbal; medicines need to meet their primary such vital resources. Therefore, this study was proposed healthcare (Farnsworth and Soejarto, 1991; Pei, 2001). to assess the use, management and conservation practices The list of medicinal plants in Ethiopia, which is of medicinal plants in some selected districts of Jimma documented for National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Zone, South West Ethiopia. Plan by Tesema et al. (2002) shows that about 887 plant species were reported to be utilized in traditional medicine. MATERIALS AND METHODS Among these, 26 species are endemic and they are becoming increasingly rare and are at the verge of Study site extinction. It is believed that the greater concentrations of these plants are found in the southern and southwestern The study was conducted in Jimma Zone (Manna, SeqaChekorsa parts of the country following the concentration of and Kersa districts in Oromia National Regional State, Southwestern Ethiopia where 3 peasant associations were selected from each biological and cultural diversity (Yineger, 2005; UNEP, district. 1995). In Ethiopia, most of the medicinal plants used by herbalists are collected in the natural vegetation (Asfaw, Geographical location of the study area 1999, 2001). Medicinal plants obtained at wild habitats Manna, SeqaChekorsa and Kersa districts are located in Jimma are found in different natural ecosystems of the forests, which is the largest city in southwestern Ethiopia. It is one zone of grasslands, woodlands, wetlands, in field margins and the Oromia National Regional State. It has a latitude and longitude garden fences, as weeds and in many other microhabitats of 7°40′N 36°50′E. where they are harvested when the need arises. These are free access resources. Many medicinal plants are Population also harvested for non-medicinal purposes such as for timber, implements, firewood and other purposes, and Total population of the districts is: Kersa 165,331(83579 male and hence they are subjected to multiple depletion. Hence, 82,812 female); Mana, 146, 67 (74,512 male and 71,878 female); Seka Chekorsa, 208,096 (104,758 male and 103,338 female). sustainable utilization measures and conservation of plants should target the habitats of such vulnerable species. Vegetation Except in a few medicinal plant species where a few The study area lies in moist evergreen montane forest of Jimma food crops are cultivated with medicinal value, there is no zone in south western Ethiopia and this specific study was organized cultivation of plants for medicinal purposes in conducted in Agro forestry, cultivated lands MPs. Emphasis was Ethiopia. The reason for this is that the quantities of given more on utilization and conservation practices of medicinal medicinal plants traded are very small, and there is no plants than on ecosystem and forest type description or organized large scale value addition and processing. characterization. However, there is a potential in the future for increased demand for some species, and therefore it is important to Ethnic group identify them and start the necessary research on the conservation and sustainable utilization techniques In Seka Chekorsa, Mana and Kersa districts the five major ethnic groups are Oromo the Yem, Amhara, Kafficho and Dawuro The (Bekele, 2007). majority of the inhabitants are Muslim, Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, Abera (2003) assessed the locally available medicinal Protestant Christians and Waqefata . plants in Jimma zone and found that 39 medicinal plants The study area (Jimma Zone) has an agro-ecological setting of were used for treatment of various diseases. Haile and highlands (15%), midlands (67%) and lowlands (18%). The zone is Delenasaw (2007) carried out also an assessment on one of the major coffee growing areas of Oromia National Regional State well endowed with natural resources contributing significantly traditional medicinal plant knowledge and their use by to the national economy of the country (Lemessa, 2000). local healers in Jimma Zone on 27 medicinal plants. They The study area, Jimma zone is one of the major coffee growing found that the majority of the reported species grow in areas of Oromia National Regional State well endowed with natural wild and they are rare. In addition, ethnobotanical study resources contributing significantly to the national economy of the *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. Author(s) agree that this article remain permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License 204 Int. J. Biodivers. Conserv Table 1. Source of medicinal plants in the study area. observation was made in the field on the general habitats of the medicinal plants. The medicinal plants were identified in the field Medicinal plant cultivation Frequency Percentage spontaneously in situ by the help of taxonomic keys using Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea such as Hedberg and Edwards (1995) and Cultivated 112 48.91 other volumes and for those which were not identified in situ Collect at wild habitat 85 37.12 voucher specimen were collected for further consultation of experts. Buy in market 17 7.42 There was no difficulty faced in identification as most of the plants From neighbors 14 6.11 mentioned have medicinal uses and there are sufficient information in the Flora books. others 1 0.44 Total 229 Data analysis Questionnaires was coded, entered into excel sheet and analyzed Table 2. Cultivation status of medicinal plants in the study using SPSS software version 16. The qualitative data was narrated