Ermias Lulekal|Zemede Asfaw|Ensermu Kelbessa|Patrick Van Damme
Ethnomedicinal study of plants used for human ailments in Ankober District, North Shewa Zone, Amhara Region, Ethiopia
Ghent University|Addis Ababa University|Addis Ababa University|Czech University of Life Sciences Prague
ankober district long inhabited people long tradition using medicinal plants treat human ailments overexploitation medicinal plants coupled everincreasing population growth deforestation agricultural land expansion threatens plants area hence study aimed documenting analyzing plantbased ethnomedicinal knowledge people order preserve dwindling indigenous knowledgeethnobotanical data collected using semistructured interviews focus group discussions participant observation walkinthewoods quantitative approaches used determine informant consensus factor icf fidelity level fl values statistical tests used compare indigenous knowledge medicinal plants among different informant categoriesa total 135 medicinal plant species belonging 128 genera 71 botanical families reported treat human diseases district families asteraceae 12 species 9 fabaceae 10 74 found best represented area 44 preparations reported obtained roots significant difference p 005 observed mean number medicinal plants reported groups respondents compared within age literacy level experience parameters highest icf values recorded gastrointestinal parasitic dermatological disease categories 070 indicating best agreement among informants knowledge medicinal plants used treat aliments categories highest fidelity level values recorded zehneria scabra 95 hagenia abyssinica 9375 showing conformity knowledge species best healing potential podocarpus falcatus ranked first direct matrix ranking exercise multipurpose medicinal plants output preference ranking exercise indicated olea europaea subsp cuspidata preferred species treat atopic eczemathe study revealed ankober district rich medicinal plant diversity associated indigenous knowledge however anthropogenic factors coupled acculturation poor conservation efforts threaten medicinal plant survival area promoting complementary situ ex situ conservation strategy medicinal plants district highly recommended