Rediet Sitotaw|Ermias Lulekal|Dawit Abate
Ethnomycological study of edible and medicinal mushrooms in Menge District, Asossa Zone, Benshangul Gumuz Region, Ethiopia
Kotebe Metropolitan University|Addis Ababa University|Addis Ababa University
abstract background menge district long inhabited people long tradition using wild mushrooms mainly food source income medicine extensive utilization wild edible mushrooms wem coupled everincreasing population growth deforestation agricultural land expansion threatens fungal diversity wem area hence study aimed documenting analyzing ethnomycological knowledge people order preserve dwindling wem wealth associated indigenous knowledge methods ethnomycological data collected using semistructured interviews focus group discussions participant observations walkinthewoods methods statistical tests used compare indigenous knowledge practice wild mushroom among different informant categories using oneway anova tests results total 20 ethnomycologically important wild mushroom species belonging ten genera six families identified 15 reported edible district family lyophyllaceae represented highest number species nine species 45 followed agaricaceae seven species 35 remaining four families single species representation significant difference p lt 005 observed mean number wem reported among different group respondents wild edible mushroom collection habit practice significantly p lt 005 influenced gender age literacy level output preference ranking exercise indicated termitomyces schimperi ranked first followed termitomyces letestui termitomyces microcarpus termitomyces eurhizus preferred edible mushrooms respectively conclusion present study shows menge district rich wild mushroom diversity associated indigenous knowledge however anthropogenic factors together loss indigenous knowledge poor conservation efforts threaten survival economically ecologically important mushrooms area thus complementary situ ex situ mushroom conservation strategy highly recommended