Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 1 Indigenous Knowledge of Local Communities in Utilization of Ethnoveterinary Medicinal Plants and Their Conservation Status in Dess’a Priority Forest, North Eastern Escarpment of Ethiopia

Background: Ethnoveterinary plant medicine plays indispensable role in many developing counties in treatment of livestock health problems. Dess’a priority forest is a bridge for small scale farming communities in Tigray and the Afar pastoralists, where both communities are rich in herds of domestic animals including camels. The study was aimed at investigating the utilization of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and their conservation status in Dess’a priority forest, northeastern escarpment of Ethiopia. Methods: A total of 22 key and 252 general informants were selected using purposive and random sampling technique respectively. Interview was conducted using pre-prepared semi-structured questionnaire following focus group discussion with elderly people. Guided field walk and direct observation were also used to collect the required data. Data were analyzed using Microsoft office word excel (2007), scoring and ranking. Results: This study discovered that fifty-six ethnoveterinary medicinal plants distributed among 31 families and 49 genera, used by traditional healers for treatment of 37 livestock health problems, were identified in the study area. Wound (24%), Cough (15%) and abdominal bloat (12%) were the most prevalent aliments. Fabaceae (16%), Solanaceae (11%) and Amaranthaceae (7%) were wealthiest families. Majority of which (43%) were shrubs and principal sources of the medicinal plants were wild habitat (44.6%). major plant parts used were leaves (43%). In most cases, freshly harvested plant remedies (49%), were prepared by pounding (21%) followed by Crushing (12%). Oral (34%) was the principal route of remedy administration. Nicotiana glauca Graham & Solanum marginatum L. were most preferred ethnoveterinary medicinal plants. Uprooting (37%) were the leading harvesting method and majority of the plants were rarely encountered (53%). Deforestation (32%), Drought (27%) and climate change (18%) were major threats. Conclusion: There is huge amount of indigenous knowledge of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants, but healers were secretive and did not share their knowledge freely, resulting in danger of information loss, and inappropriate utilization.


Introduction
Ethnoveterinary plant medicine plays indispensable role in pastoral and agro-pastoral communities that rely heavily on livestock for their livelihood and food security, in many developing and developed counties of the globe to treat their domestic animals. (

Preliminary Survey, Forest Kushet and Informant Selection
Before we start an ethnobotanical study, we conduct preliminary survey and contacts were made with district and Kushet Administrators, Agriculture and Rural Development Bureau to seek permission and to carry out the study by informing those about the aims and significance of the study which is not for commercial purpose but for academic value. In order to have valuable information on ethnoveterinary medicinal plants and their conservation status of the Dess'a priority forest, it was decided to sample forest Kushet, within the forest and very close to the forest, based on community-forest interactions, accordingly a total of four Woredas (Berahle, Kunoba, Ab'ala, and Enderta) and six forest Kuhets (Wesema, Adkelo, Eruh and Edeghanu, Wahdist, Shahigubi, and Debrekibie) were selected.(30, 31) Following martin, (31-33) a total of 252 general informants were selected using a random informant sampling technique (from the list of inhabitants) during field and house visits (42 5 informants from each study forest Kushet). All interviews were administered after obtaining the voluntary consent of each informant and assuring them that the data going to be used only for academic purposes. With the help of traditional association leaders, local authorities, elderly people, and religious leaders, Twenty-two key informants (18 males and 4 females), who have the knowledge and ethnoveterinary practice were selected using a purposive sampling technique.

Semi-structured interview
A pre-prepared semi-structured interview method was used to collect quantitative and qualitative ethnobotanical data; we preferred this method of an interview because it allows a

Direct observation and Guided field walk
Direct observation and guided field walk interview were undertaken with key informants and all relevant data, including waypoint recording by using GPS, vernacular names, a tally of the plant, habit and habitat and parts used, harvesting methods as well as the strategies they use for the conservation of medicinal plants and preservation of indigenous knowledge on medicinal plants were recorded. Photographic records were also taken in the field to capture the plant specimens, field sites, and other useful memories.(31, 36)

Plant specimen collection and identification
The reported ethnoveterinary medicinal plants were collected from each forest Kushet, natural vegetation, and home gardens by collecting plant specimens of each plants species during guided field walks and direct observation. Then specimens were dried, deep-frozen, and determinations were made at Mekelle University, using taxonomic keys and descriptions given in the relevant volumes of Flora of Ethiopia and Eritrea. (33, 37-42) Finally, the accuracy of identifications was confirmed by senior botanists, and specimens are found deposited in Mekelle University.

Ethnobotanical data analysis
Microsoft office excel (2007), Simple preference ranking and direct matrix ranking and Proportions (percentiles), figures and tables were used to summarize the collected ethnoveterinary medicinal data.

Demographic characteristics
Majority of the traditional healers found in the study area were illiterate males, 18 ( 81.8%) and the remained 4(18.2%) were females, aged 20-70 years and with an average age of 56.55. This is due to traditions of indigenous people of Afar and being the natural case when the interviewer is passenger as in our case, Females are generally not unsurprising to come into view in any discussion with guest, both by society and family, even not seeing their face and not give hand for greeting by the opposite sex. Other studies conducted in different parts of Ethiopia also agreed that predominance healers that participated in sharing their healing knowledge were males.(43-45) Concerning marital status 15 (68%), 5(23%) and 2(9%) were married, divorced and unmarried respectively. According this result and respondents point of view most of traditional healers in the area were married, due to their wisdom in treating different livestock aliments and most of the society accept the question of appointment by the traditional healers.(44)

Source of healing wisdom and indigenous knowledge transfer
The highest source of healing wisdom was a family line (15, 68.18%) followed by "Qur'an", 3, 13.64%), Neighborhood and observation (2, 9.09 %), traditional healers with payment (1, 4.545 %), "Bible" (1, 4.545%).This provide evidence that indigenous knowledge of the study area was transferred through family line, most of the healers need to share to their own family in general and to their young man in particular and they accepted that their reluctance in sharing their knowledge to others was due to income generation of that healing wisdom. This shows a good agreement with different ethnobotanical studies conducted before, which reported that the most commonly cited source of healing was a family line. (3,25,(46)(47)(48) Study conducted in Chifra district, Afar region, northeastern Ethiopia also cited the "Qur'an" as the source of healing wisdom; this indicates that religious books are one the sources of healing wisdom for utilization of plants in treating veterinary health problems.(49) The other methods were gained knowledge from traditional healers with payment; this means also indicates that healers of the study area gain their knowledge objectively by asking knowledgeable healers and pay money for the healers who told them about the practice and type of plant medicine. This finding also proved that "Bible "as source of healing wisdom  (Table-6) In this study, the highest number of plant species having ethnoveterinary medicinal value were found in Fabaceae (9, 16%) followed by Solanaceae (6, 11%) and Amaranthaceae (4, 7%) (

Ethnoveterinary aliments
A total of 37 ethnoveterinary ailments were practiced and treated by healers of the study area.( 10, 15% 15%), abdominal bloat (8 times, 12%) and dysentery (7 times, 11%) were the most frequently cited and most prevalent aliments of domestic animals in the study area. (Figure-4) Traditional healers of the study area were confident enough in treating this prevalent disease (wound) and mostly caused due to animal horn injuries, using cattle for plough (which cause neck wound), hyena bite and dermal ectoparasite. Inconsistent to this finding a previous ethnoveterinary study reported that blackleg followed by anthrax were among the major prevalent disease.(69)

Parts of plant remedies used for the preparation
The results of study illustrated that the major part of the medicinal plants were leaf, root,

Harvesting methods of plant parts
Traditional healers of the study area possess eleven different harvesting methods of ethnoveterinary medicinal plant parts , among those uprooting the whole plant was the leading method 42(37%,) followed Collecting leaves with its young shoots 39 (34%). (Table-3  Uprooting the whole plant 42 37 Uprooting the whole plant & Collecting leaves with its young shoots 2 2

Form of remedy preparation
Freshly harvested plant parts were the dominant ones 55(49%) used in remedy preparation whereas the remaining 39(34%) and 19(17%) of remedies were reported to be prepared from dried parts and both dried and freshly parts of medicinal plant species respectively. (Figure-7) traditional healers of the study area realize that freshly harvested remedies were most effective and in healing almost all ethnoveterinary health problems than other forms of remedy preparations. Traditional healer also evidenced for their preference to use freshly harvested plant remedies that shrubs and trees were simply harvested from the forest area.

Abundance of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants
Analysis of abundance of ethnoveterinary medicinal plants revealed that 30 (53%), 16 (29 %), 6 (11%) and 4(7%) were encountered rarely, moderately, seasonally and commonly respectively. (Figure-10   Accordingly deforestation was the most cited threat (7 respondents, 32%); due to community of the study area was mostly active in fire wood and charcoal production (Acacia etbaica, Olea europea, and Euclea racemosa), followed by Drought (6, 27%), climate change (4, 18%), they supposed by fluctuation and shortage of raining season (Figure-11). This result to the decline of species abundance and even finally to local extinction. Therefore, there is a need to train the plant collectors on sustainable and ethical methods of harvesting the plants.
The forest lies at the border of Tigray and Afar regional states, which may result in negligence in ownership and fierce competition for the resources. Hence, the conflict of the people in the borders of the forest in using resources is common. , To create a system of security and accountability equitable benefit sharing and governance is in demand. The healers were secretive and did not share their knowledge freely, resulting in the danger of information loss, and inappropriate utilization. Therefore, encouragement of the local traditional healers to use traditional medicine wisely, through licensing, recognition and other motivating actions are needed.

Recommendations
The Regional and Woreda Administration, the Regional and Woreda Bureau of Agriculture