Diversity and Use Values of Plants in Hadero-Tunto Zuria District, Kembata-Tembaro Zone, Southern, Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Regional State, Ethiopia

Abstract

The indigenous knowledge of plants is systematically and socially very crucial. This study was done ethnobotanical study of plant resources in Hadero-Tunto Zuria District, Kembata-Tembaro Zone, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples Regional State, Ethiopia. Survey was used to conductdatain the study District. The study was doneby identifying and documenting the plants thatwereused for food 49.3%, fodder 35.5%, medicine 63%, Construction 16.5%, and several mixed uses including material culture. The sample size of the study Districtwas selected 186 respondents by Yamane (1967) formula. And the respondents were selected by lottery methods from three administrative towns of the study District. Various ethnobotanical methods wereused to collect and analyze the data such as semi- structured interview, participant observation, group discussion, guided field walk, preference ranking, direct matrix ranking, paired comparison, informant’s consensus factor and reliability level combined with descriptive statistical analysis. In the study District, 73 different plant species with 42 family and 42 genera are identified. Poaceae stood first contributing 12(16.5%) species followed by Fabaceae and Solanaceae represented by 5(6.9%) species each and, Rosaceae and Rutaceae 4(5.5%), Asteraceae 3(4.4%), Zingiberaceae, Annacardiaceae, Lamiaceae, and Musaceae represented by 2(2.7%) species each. Based on the findings, those collected plant resources were mentioned in a minimum amount that shoud be preservedwere: Oleae europaea, Syzygium guineense, Prunes persica, Rhamnus prinoides, Ipomoeabatatas, Arundinaria alpina and some others eight plant species