An ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants in Yilmana Densa and Quarit Districts, West Gojjam, Western Ethiopia

Backgrounds: Globally, wild edible plants are one of the main non-timber forest products and possess up to 96% of the value of forests. They are an essential source of supplementary foods in many parts of Ethiopia. However, they have been highly degraded and lost due to anthropogenic factors. Thus, current study aims at recording and documenting wild edible plants in Yilmana Densa and Quarit Districts, West Gojjam, Western Ethiopia to pave a way for further research and conservation. Methods: Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, participant observation and market survey were the data collection tools. Preference and direct matrix ranking were used to analyze the data. Results: Thirty two wild edible plant species were reported in the two Districts. Most of the species were herbs while the major (53.1%) edible parts were fruits. Most of the collectors of the wild food were young males. Ficus sur was the most preferred wild edible plant. Conclusion: The districts are still rich sources of wild edible plants. However, there was low potential of conservation. Therefore, there should be extensive awareness rising for wild edible plant conservation.

Where n is the sample size, N is the population size (total number of households of the two Districts), and e (e=0.05) is the level of precision. This formula is a simpli ed way used to calculate the sample sizes at 95% con dence level and P = 0 [13]. After determining the amount of informants for the study, representative general and key informants of the Districts were selected using systematic random and purposive sampling (based on their relative better knowledge) approaches respectively as described by [14] and [15]. Therefore, the total number of general informants involved in ethnobotanical survey of wild edible plants of the Districts having two agroclimatic Zones (Weyna Dega and Dega) was 268 males and 127 females, separately 102 men and 45 women from Quarit District, and 165 men and 83 women informants from Yilmana Densa District respectively. Peer recommendations from community members, elderly people and knowledgeable inhabitants helped in nominating 95 key informants (68 men and 27 women). Separately 35 (25 men and 10 women) were from Quarit District and 60 (43 men and 17 women) were from Yilmana Densa District. The age of the general informants ranged from 20-81 years (139 were from 20-40 whereas 256 were > 40 years old).
Informed consent was obtained from each informant who participated in this study after explaining the purpose of the study and assuring him/her of the most responsible legal use of information before the start of interviews.

Data Collection
Data were collected in different seasons over different years with the objective of including different Kebeles found in the two agroclimatic Zones of the Districts, and collecting plant specimens during the respective owering seasons. Ethnobotanical data were collected during four different eld visits conducted between 15 September 2016 and 30 June 2018. Market surveys were conducted between 10 December 2017 and 7 May 2018. Semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, eld observation and market survey were used to collect ethnobotanical data in the manner recommended by [14].
A semi-structured interview and focus group discussion were by using a checklist of questions prepared before hand in English, and presented by translating into Amharic which is the common language of the local community. Informants were interviewed individually in the local Amharic language. All semistructured interviews were followed by independent walk in the woods exercises to pave a way for a detailed discussion with the informant and the practical identi cation of traditionally used wild edible plants in the natural environment.
Field observations were performed with the help of local guides, as well as some respondents of the local community. In addition, one focus group discussion (consisting of 7 participants) per Kebele was undertaken to gain detailed information on wild edible plants knowledge at the community level and to supplement the information collected through semi-structured interviews. The informants were asked about local names, habitats, parts used, the threats and traditional conservation practices of wild edible plants [16,17]. The informants were also asked about over all use values of wild edible plants [16].

Preference Ranking And Direct Matrix Ranking
Data on use diversity of ve multipurpose wild edible plants was evaluated by direct matrix ranking exercise. This involved six (four men and two women) key informants selected from both Districts as stated by [14]. The purpose of this exercise was to identify which of the multipurpose plants is most under pressure in the area and to evidence the corresponding factors that threaten plants. Participants were asked to assign values to different uses of wild edible plant species as rewood, construction, agricultural tool, medicine, charcoal, timber, food and fence, and based on the degree of uses (i.e. 5 = best; 4 = very good; 3 = good; 2 = less used; 1 = least used and 0 = no value). By adding the scores, it was possible to compare the multipurpose wild edible plants to identify the main contributing factor to the loss of respective species [17]. Sixteen key informants from two Districts were also involved to rank 8 wild edible plants (Dovyalis abyssinica, Rubus apetalus, Ficus sur, Cordia africana, Carissa spinarium, Rosa abyssinica, Ficus vasta and Rhus glutinosa) regarding their taste quality and income generation based on the personal preference or perceptions of the key informants following the procedure elucidated by [14] and [17]. Each rank was given a value of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8. The procedure was stated by [14].

Use diversity study
Ethnobotanical data obtained using various ethnobotanical data collection methods were all documented to assess overall use values and use diversity of species following [18] and [19]. All informants of the study were interviewed at the same time for their knowledge on additional local use or use diversity of plants cited for one or more uses following the method of [14,17]. Six key informants were also involved for direct matrix exercise of ve wild edible plants (Acacia abyssinica, Carissa spinarum, Cordia africana, Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata and Rosa abyssincia) with additional uses (environmental use, forage, fuel, medicine and social use). These species were ranked based on ve use criteria (5 = Best; 4 = Very good; 3 = Good; 2 = Less used; 1 = Least used and 0 = No value). For exercise of direct matrix ranking focus group discussion (FGD) was conducted to know the degree of preference based on multipurpose criteria on the plants. The method of descriptive statistics was also applied to identify the number and percentage of species, genera and families of wild edible plants used, their growth forms, proportions of parts used.

Market Surveys
Market surveys were conducted at Adet, Dabi and Bir Gebeya whose market date is going on Saturday and Wednesday for the rst two and Friday for the later respectively. The purpose of market survey was to record, document and analyze the availability, price and unit of measurement, extent of use and incomegenerating potential of wild edible plants found in these markets following the method of [16].

Results And Discussions
Habits and edible parts The districts harbored 32 wild edible plants under 24 families ( Table 1). The species were recorded with 3 habit classes namely herbs, shrubs and trees. Most of wild food sources were herbs as reported by the local people whereas fruits were the major edible parts of the species out of 9 reported edible parts (Fig. 1).
The reason for preference of fruits as the primary source of wild food might be due to their possession of highest nutritional value than other edible parts [20,21]. The results of the nutritional analysis of the fruits of some wild edible plants indicated that fruits contain appreciable amount of nutrients and energy that are useful for food supplements [22,23]. Farmlands, grazing lands, roadsides, forests and home gardens were reported to be the major sites of collection in the districts. However, Urtica simensis, Vernonia amygdalina, Cordia Africana and Ensete ventricosum were reserved only in home gardens. Most species of wild edible plants were reported to be non-managed by the local community directly as complementary food in the districts. The results also showed that most of the wild foods were collected by young males especially by shepherds. It was reported to be because of the following reasons: 1) as it was reported, there was a division of labor in the family members. That means females usually work in the house whereas males might mostly work outside their houses. This might enable males to be more experienced with wild edible foods. Moreover, most of the shepherds were reported to be young males that might experience hungry since they might be far from their houses. 2) Males might have better ability to climb and grip mature tallest trees than females. Thus, more burden of collection might lie down on males than females.

Use Diversities
Wild edible plants were also reported to have other roles for the local community of the Districts. These were source of traditional medicine, fodder, rewood, charcoal, poison and construction materials. Wild edible plants were a source of forage for cattle and bees (becoming source of nectar for bees). The most commonly reported forage edible plants for bees were Vernonia amygdalina whereas Vernonia amygdalina, Cordia africana, Rosa abyssynica, Cyperus rigidifolius, Persicaria nepalensis, Acacia abyssinica and Acanthus sennii were the most commonly used forage edible plants for livestock. They had also environmental uses such as soil conservation, increment of soil fertility, fence (dry and live fence). Acanthus sennii, Carissa spinarum, Opuntia cus indica, Urtica simensis and Rosa abyssincia were reported to be the most commonly used species for live fence while Cordia africana was reported to be the most commonly mentioned species for soil fertility. However, most of the species were used as a source of fuel wood ( rewood and charcoal).
The results further indicated that fruits of some wild edible plants such as Mimusops kummel and Ficus sur and Ximenia americana were observed to be sold in local markets of the districts (Fig. 5). Mimusops kummel was observed in Adet market starting from November -April while Ficus sur was observed in Bir Gebeya (in Yilmana Densa district), Dabi and Adet market rarely in smaller market places starting from March to the end of May. Mimusops kummel was reported to be sold in a can (almost it may contain ½ kilo gram). A single can of its fruits were sold by 3 Birr (Ethiopian Birr) or by count, 10 fruits were sold by 1 Birr. The gs of Ficus vasta, and the fruits Ximenia americana and Ensete ventricosum were reported to be rarely sold in local markets.
However, most of wild foods (81.3%) were non-marketable. This indicated that the local community of the districts had low culture of using wild edibles as a complementary food. This might be one of the reasons that wild foods were mostly consumed by households while there was a collapse in the harvest of cultivated food crops because of drought as reported in other areas [24,25]. According to [22], the low a nity in using wild edible foods as complementary food indicates the presence of low awareness rising on the use and management of wild edible plants.

Threats And Conservation
Agricultural land expansion was the primary threat to wild edible plants of the districts as it was recorded as a primary threat in other parts Ethiopia [23]. The other main threats were cutting trees for fuel wood and over grazing in agreement with other ndings [26,27,28]. The increasing demand of rewood might be interrelated with directly degrading forests or it might be accompanied by the replacement of forest patches by fast growing monoculture non-native trees [29]. According to [30], the increasing demand for rewood and construction material created dependable markets for Eucalyptus products which have contributed to the steady expansion of its area in the region. The major conservation activities practiced by the local people in the districts were planting trees. The local people usually cultivate wild edible plants for indirect uses such as income generation, fence, timber, aesthetic, shade and soil conservation. Cordia africana, a well known timber plant, was conserved by such types of activities in agreement with other ndings [31].

Conclusions
The districts have appreciable amount of wild edible plants which are a source of high amount of wild foods. The remnant forests of the districts were also the home for most the collected edible species. Thus, conservation priority should be given for the forests of the areas. The other main point here is that the culture of the people in using wild edible plants as a supplementary food is low. Thus, there should be an extensive awareness rising in using wild edible foods. This might be also an incentive to the local people to appraise for conservation. In addition, nutritional analysis tests should also be conducted to identify whether which species are enriched in essential nutrients.
Declarations Figure 1 Map of the study Districts and Kebeles (Drawn by using Arc GIS ver. 10.5).

Figure 2
Climate diagram of Adet Fruits of Mimusops kummel in Adet market presented for sell

Supplementary Files
This is a list of supplementary les associated with this preprint. Click to download. Appendix1Wildedibleplants.docx