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Full Length Research Paper |
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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.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
emirubirhana.hizikias@wur.nl.
Accepted 22 December, 2010 |
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Abstract |
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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.
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