Plant Diversity and Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants in Yayo and Hurumu Districts, Ilu Abba Bor Zone of Oromia Region, Southwest Ethiopia Garuma Gerbaba Chemeda Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June, 2020 Plant Diversity and Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants in Yayo and Hurumu Districts, Ilu Abba Bor Zone of Oromia Region, Southwest Ethiopia Garuma Gerbaba Chemeda A Ph.D. Thesis Submitted to The Department of Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management Addis Ababa University Addis Ababa, Ethiopia June, 2020 Addis Ababa University Graduate Programs This is to certify that the dissertation prepared by Garuma Gerbaba Chemeda, entitled: Plant Diversity and Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants in Yayo and Hurumu Districts, Ilu Abba Bor Zone of Oromia Region, Southwest Ethiopia, and submitted in Fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Biology and Biodiversity Management and complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to originality and quality. Signed by the Examining Board: Name Signature Date 1. (Examiner) ___________ ___________ 2. (Examiner) ___________ ___________ 3. (Chairman) ___________ ___________ 4. Prof. Zemede Asfaw (Advisor) ____________ ___________ 5. Prof. Sebsebe Demissew (Advisor) ____________ __________ 6. Dr. Tadesse Woldemariam Gole (Advisor) ____________ ___________ ii Abstract Plant Diversity and Ethnobotanical Study of Traditional Medicinal and Wild Edible Plants in Yayo and Hurumu Districts, Ilu Abba Bor Zone of Oromia Region, Southwest Ethiopia Garuma Gerbaba Chemeda, Ph.D. Dissertation Addis Ababa University, 2020 This study was conducted in Yayo and Hurumu districts, Oromia Region, Southwest Ethiopia during 2016 to 2019 with the aim of investigating plant diversity and ethnomedicinal and wild edible plants. To collect vegetation data, a total of 96 quadrats in which 20 m x 20 m major quadrat, while 5 m x 5 m, and 2 m x 2 m subplots were established for shrubs and herbaceous plant species respectively. Transects were laid at a distance of 500 m apart from each other, the first line transect was established randomly. The successive quadrats were established along altitudinal gradients. Altitude, latitude, longitude were recorded using GPS. Plant species with DBH >2.5 cm, height >2 m were documented. For those plants having a height < 2 m and DBH < 2.5 cm were recorded as seedlings or saplings. For ethnobotanical data collections, 396 informants were interviewed. 52 key informants were purposively selected. FGD, participant observation and market survey were made. For plant diversity analysis, Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’) was used. Community cluster analyses of the forests were performed with the help of R software. Density, frequency, DBH, IVI, and BA were computed. Descriptive techniques were also used for ethnobotanical data analysis. A total of 298 (184 from quadrats and 114 outside) plant species in 235 genera and 93 families were reported. Asteraceae was the most species rich family represented by 27 followed by Fabaceae that contributed 24 species. Six community types: Antiaris toxicaria - Celtis africana, Justicia schimperiana - Vepris dainellii, Carissa spinarum - Trichilia dregeana, Apodytes dimidiata - Croton macrostachyus, Rubus apetalus - Vernonia amygdalina, Clematis simensis - Trema orientalis community types were identified. The study area was characterized by diversified plant species with an average diversity index (H’) of 3.4. The local communities possess rich knowledge on the use of plants. A total of 172 plant species were used for the traditional medicine and 22 used as wild edible plants. The highest values of ICF (0.93) were recorded for gastro-intestinal ailments. The highest FL was recorded for Thalictrum rhynchocarpum (97%). Anthropogenic pressure including firewood and agricultural expansion were identified as the factors that could be seen as threats of plant species of the study area. Keywords/phrases: Ethnobotany, medicinal plants, plant diversity, wild edible plants, Yayo and Hurumu districts DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to local communities of Yayo and Hurumu districts who enthusiastically their good willingness, and commitment to share their valuable indigenous knowledge on the use of plants for traditional medicine, wild edible plants, and related essential indigenous knowledge on plant uses which has been practiced for many years. iv Acknowledgments Firstly; the local communities of Yayo and Hurumu districts who gave me essential information are gratefully acknowledged. I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to my supervisors Professor Zemede Asfaw (AAU), Professor Sebsebe Demissew (AAU), and Dr.Tadesse Woldemariam Gole (ECFF) for their great advice, precious supports in all aspects, great guidance, patience, follow up, motivation, detail reading and giving me constructive comments starting from the beginning to the end of my work. I am also very grateful to Professor Sebsebe Demissew for his help in plant identification, labeling and confirming the specimen. Beside to giving me valuable comments and guidance, Dr. Tadesse Woldemariam Gole supported me finically. So, I am also very pleased for his support. Different individuals, colleagues, and organization were helped me directly or indirectly during this study. I would also extend my sincere thanks to all of them. My assistants Dasse Olana and Terefe Korsa greatfully appreciated. I am also express my sincerely gratitude to Yayo and Hurumu districts managerial office for allowing me permission for working in the different kebeles and intense forest during the collection of ethnobotanical and ecological data. I would also really grateful to Addis Ababa University and Mettu University for financial support. I would also extend my sincere thanks to the members of National Herbarium of Ethiopia for their assistance. All staff members of the National Herbarium (ETH.) Ato Melaku Wondafrash, Ato Wege Abebe, and W/o Shewangiziw Lemma, were also gratefully acknowledged for their help during plant specimen identification. I am using this opportunity to express my gratitude to the National Meteorological Services Agency of Ethiopia for giving meteorological data of Yayo and Hurumu districts. I am very grateful to my wife Sifan Jiregna, my children Garifan Garuma and Kolit Garuma. I am very much thankful to my father Gerbaba Chemeda who passed away during my study, my mom Mihrate Regassa, my sister Shukare Gerbaba. v List of Acronyms AAU: Addis Ababa University CBD: Convention on Biological Diversity CSMP: Conservation and Sustainable Use of Medicinal Plants DBH: Diameter at Breast Height ECFF: Environment and Coffee Forest Forum ETH: National Herbarium of Ethiopia FL: Fidelity Level GPS: Global Positioning System HDANRMO: Hurumu District Agricultural and Natural Resources Management Offices IBC: Institute of Biodiversity Conservation (Ethiopia) ICF: Informant Consensus Factor IK: Indigenous Knowledge NFPA: National Forest Priority Area NTFPs: Non-Timber Forest Products Development Training Manuals Series TK: Traditional Knowledge STCP: Sustainable Tree Crops Program TM: Traditional Medicine UVs: Use Values WHO: The World Health Organization YDRADO: Yayo District Rural and Agricultural Development Office vi Tables of Contents List of Acronyms ............................................................................................................................. vi Tables of Contents .......................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures ................................................................................................................................. ix List of Tables .................................................................................................................................... x List of Appendices ........................................................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 1.1. Background .................................................................................................................................. 1 1.2. Statement of the problem ............................................................................................................... 3 1.3. Research questions, hypotheses and study objectives ....................................................................... 4 1.3.1. Research questions ................................................................................................................. 4 1.3.2. Research hypotheses ............................................................................................................... 4 1.3.3. Study objectives ..................................................................................................................... 5 CHAPTER TWO 2. LITERATURE REVIEW ............................................................................................................. 6 2.1. Vegetation of Ethiopia ..................................................................................................................