An Ethnobotanical Study of Plants in the Adjoining Area of Kafta Sheraro National Park Ethnic Groups, Ethiopia

Abstract

A field trip was carried out in Kafta Humera wereda Adigoshu Tabia (administrative unit below wereda), adjacent to Kafta-Sheraro National Park, to assess the presence of plant and their derivative use of different use values practiced by the local community. The study employed ethnobotanical methods including structured and semi-structured interviews, field observations, preference ranking, relative frequency and fidelity level. A total of 50 informants from both ethnic groups (Habesha and kunama) Tabia were selected purposively and 28 key informants also selected with the help of local administrators, recommendations from elders, and members of the local community. A total of 36 plants with their ethnobotanical use were collected and identified. These species represent 34 genera and 27 families. About 29 of the medicinal plants were used to treat for human disease only, 2 medicinal plant only for animal and 5 medicinal plants for both animal and human diseases. The main source of those plant species was obtained from wild (83%) while 17% of the species were cultivated. Of the total 36 medicinal plants collected from the study area, the habit of a plant where about 69% trees followed by shrubs (22%), climbers (6%) and herbs (3%) in their decreasing order. The most commonly used plant parts were leaves and followed by root and fruit part in equal ranks. There was no uniform measurement used by the local healers in the study area. Female were more involved in selling the edible and medicinal plants than males.