Ethno botanical Study of Wild Edible Plants in Dega District, Buno Bedele Zone, Oromia Region, South Western Ethiopia

Abstract

Wild edible plants (WEPs) are commonly used to meet food requirements of rural people, especially during periods of food shortage. The study was conducted onEthnobotanical Study of Wild Edible Plants in Dega District, Buno Bedele Zone, Oromia Region, South western Ethiopia. The main objective of the study was to asses and document wild edible plants in Dega District. A total of 119 informants were(88 males and 31females) involved in this study and help with the documentation of relevant ethnobotanical information about WEPs.Data collection and analyses employed simple statics in ethnobotanical methods. For data analyses descriptive statistics and quantitative were used in ethnobotanical methods. The study resulted in documentation of 32 WEP species growing and utilized in the study area. These species are distributed in 24 genera and 21 families. Fruits were the most commonly used plant parts in the community 19 species (59.4 %) and most of them25species (78.1%) are eaten fresh as raw. The result of preference ranking indicated that Syzygium guineense subsp. macrocarp is the most preferred wild fruit followed bySyzygium guineense subsp.afromontanum.This was supported by the paired wise comparison. Direct matrix ranking analyses for the multipurpose species showed that Cordia africana, Syzygium guineese subsp. afromontanum and Syzygium subsp.macrocarp are the most cited species used for different purposes. The informant consensus analysis showed that Cordia africana and Syzygium guineense subsp afromontanum are the most threaten species due to diverse uses. Although informants’ listed Syzygiumguineense subsp.macrocarp and Syzigium guineense subsp. afromontanum those were available in the market. This might be due to availability of sufficient food resources in the season or could loss of the resource and the associated knowledge. The use of eating WEPs products in the district still ongoing processes especially children consumed them based on the seasonal availability. Wild edible plants identified in the study area were available year-round at different seasons. The fruiting of WEPs during all season especially at dry season has indicated the resistance nature of these plants to water stress environments means they are important during the drought seasons. Findings in the study sites indicate that most preferred multi purposeWEPs have got the probability to be disappeared in a short period of time, so it is better to study the way of protection.