Management, Use and Ecology of Medicinal Plants in the Degraded Dry Lands of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Journal of Medicinal Plants Research Vol. 5(3), pp. 309-318, 4 February, 2011 Available online at http://www.academicjournals.org/JMPR ISSN 1996-0875 ©2011 Academic Journals Full Length Research Paper Management, use and ecology of medicinal plants in the degraded dry lands of Tigray, Northern Ethiopia Emiru Birhane1,2*, Ermias Aynekulu1,3, Wolde Mekuria1,4 and Degitu Endale1 1Department of Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection, Mekelle University, Mekele, Ethiopia. 2Forest Ecology and Management Group, Center for Ecosystem studies, Wageningen University and Research Center, Wageningen, The Netherlands. 3Department of Ecology and Resource Management, Center for Development Studies (ZEF c), University of Bonn, Walter-Flex-Str. 3, 53113, Bonn, Germany. 4Institute of Soil Sciences and Forest Nutrition, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany. Accepted 22 December, 2010 An ethnomedicinal study was conducted to document the indigenous medicinal plant knowledge on the management, use, and ecology of locally important medicinal plants in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia. Ethnobotanical data were collected from 250 people, using semi-structured questionnaires, field observation and informal discussion. The ethnomedicinal use of 259 plant species mainly herbs (31 to 51%), shrubs (31 to 46%) and trees (13 to 39%) used to treat 147 human and livestock ailments were documented in the study area. The most frequently used plant part were roots (49%), followed by leaves (37%) and bark (14%)... Crushing (59%), homogenizing with ingredients (17%) and chewing (14%) were the commonly used forms of herbal preparation. Drinking (45%), smoke inhalation (12%) and tie and hold on (10%) were the most frequently used methods of application. Most of the medicinal plants are collected from the wild. The use of more than one species was reported for remedy preparations and some health problems were treated by more than one medicinal plant. Our result showed that the local communities give less attention for the management of medicinal plants as local communities consider medicinal plants as wild, have unattractive market value and lack of knowledge. The mismanagement together with loss of habitat showed that ethnomedicinal plant species used by healers are under serious threat which indicates the need for urgent attention towards their documentation, conservation and sustainable utilization. Key words: Ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, ecology, healers, management, medicinal plants, dry land, Tigray. INTRODUCTION Ethiopia is characterized by a wide range of ecological, Ethiopia, of which 12% or more are probably endemic edaphic, and climatic condition that accounts for the wide (Kaba, 1996). Among the African countries, Ethiopia is diversity of its biological resources both in terms of flora often quoted as one of the six countries of the world and fauna (Abebe and Ayehu, 1993; Girma, 1998). The where about 60% of the plants are said to be indigenous plant genetic resources of the country is enormous as with healing potential (Kaba, 1996). There are about 213 seen in the fact that Ethiopia is one of the twelve vanillin families of flowering medicinal plants in Ethiopia and of centers of origin for domesticated crops and their wild the 92 families, with one family of gymnosperm and one and weedy relatives. It is also estimated that there are family of fern are known to contain medicinal properties more than 700 species of flowering plants recorded in (Edwards and Asfaw, 1992). In Ethiopia it is well known that traditional medicines are widely used especially in the low income rural parts of the country (Addis et al., 2002). It is reported that nearly *Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]. 80% of the population in the country use plant 310 J. Med. Plants Res. based traditional medicines as their healthcare system 1. To what extent the local communities are dependent (Teklehaymanot and Gidey, 2007). The wide utilization of on traditional use of medicinal plants and are these plant based-traditional healthcare is mainly attributed to resources degrading? the fact that it makes use of locally available plant 2. Which part(s) of the medicinal plant is mostly used for resources (Kassaye, 1996; WHO, 1999). The majority of medication and what is the implication to sustainable use medicinal plants, with few exceptions, are harvested from of the resources? wild habitats, which are currently under great treat (Iwu, 3. Do the local communities perceive medicinal plants 1993; Abebe and Ayehu, 1993; Girma, 1998). Inadequate important and should be managed properly? health centers and shortage of medicines and personnel 4. What other ecological, cultural and economic benefits in clinics could also be the reasons behind using do medicinal plants have? traditional medicines as a substitute for modern medication (Nyazena and Kire, 1986; Akerele, 1993; Abebe, 1996). MATERIALS AND METHODS However, medicinal plants of Ethiopia are subjected to Study area continuous depletion and are threatened with extinction due to habitat loss and over exploitation (IBC, This study was conducted in Tigray, the northern most region of Ethiopia (Figure 1). Tigray located between 12° 15’ to 14° 50’ N http://www.ibc.gov.et/Assets/Pages/MedicinalP.html). ’ ’ The danger poses a threat to the well-being of the rural latitude and from 36°27 to 39°59 E longitude. It has an estimated total population of 4,335,000 consisting of 2,136,000 men and population which has, for generations, relied on the 2,199,000 women (CSA, 2005). 3,519,000 or 81.2% of the plants to ward off some of the common ailments in both population are estimated to be rural inhabitants, while 816,000 or human beings and domestic animals. Both the plant 18.8% are urban. With an estimated area of 50,078.64 km2, Tigray materials and associated traditional knowledge are being has an estimated population density of 86.56 people per km2. The lost due to lack of systematic conservation, research, land holding ranges between 0.5 and 0.75 ha per household. The proper utilization and documentation. In addition, climate is characterized as tropical semi-arid area with long dry season and has an erratic rainfall between June and September. resource persons with the knowledge of using and Some parts of the southern and eastern zones of the region have a processing these plants are not willing to transfer their bimodal type of rainfall with short rains between February and April wisdom, with the mere belief that if they tell the remedial (Tesfay, 2006). The mean annual rainfall in the region varies from potential of the plants will be lost. As a result the wisdom 200 mm in the east to over 950 mm in the south western part of the and knowledge they acquire will be buried with them, if a region. The length of the growing period varies from 75 to 90 days. systematic method of documenting the existing The average annual temperature ranges from 15 to 25°C. The major type of land use comprises 36% bush and shrub land, knowledge is not employed. Thus, for the benefit of the 28% cultivated land, 23% grass land and other forms of land use existing and future generations we have the responsibility account for 11% (Tesfay, 2006). The natural forest resource of the of ensuring that the use of medicinal plant genetic region is overexploited and covers only about 0.2% of the total land resources is scientifically sound and ecologically area (Tesfay, 2006). Practically all the land is opened up for sustainable. cropping and grazing. Hardly any vegetation cover is seen in the arable lands except in exclosures, churches and some fallow areas In response to this, some ethinomedicinal studies of the previous cropping season. The decline in forest cover is (Tadese and Sebsebe, 1992; Abebe and Ayehu, 1993; mainly attributed to human economic activities and population Abbink, 1995; Giday, 2001; Tessema et al., 2001; Addis pressure (Nyssen et al., 2004). et al., 2002; Schulz et al., 2001; Gedif and Hahn, 2003; Five districts from different agro-climatic zone (lowland and Gemedo, 2005; Teklehaymanot and Gidey, 2007) were highland) of the region were selected to gather diversified conducted in the recent past in different parts of the information on the management, use, and ecology of medicinal plants in the region. Out of the five selected districts, three of them country. But considering the country’s varied flora and the were selected from the lowland (500 to 1500 m.a.s.l) part of the socio-cultural diversity, these studies are few as region. This is mainly because; lowland inhabitants are more ethnomedicinal healing systems and existence of plant dependent on traditional medicines than the highlands. According species vary across cultures and agro-ecology. Today, to the information from the different health centers of each study many medicinal plant species face extinction or severe site, the existing health facilities are inadequate. The main reason genetic loss but detailed information is lacking. For most for this poor health status in the area is unavailability of some basic infrastructures, especially electricity and lack of skilled man power. of the endangered species no conservation action has The specific situations of the five selected woredas are indicated in been taken, and there is not even a complete inventory of Table 1. medicinal plants. Much of the knowledge on their use is held by traditional societies, and the knowledge is usually transmitted verbally (Abebe and Ayenu, 1993; Pankhust, Sampling, data collection and analyses 1965, 1990). Therefore, more studies on the management, use and Ethnobotanical data were collected using purposive sampling. This sampling technique was preferred because the study focuses on ecology of medicinal plants across the country are specific issues that can be well known by few groups of the society. needed. This study seeks to respond to five central Old people, people who know traditional medicines, local healers, questions: empowered persons, local administrators; users and women were Birhane et al.

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