Sacred natural sites, herbal medicine, medicinal plants and their conservation in Sidama, Ethiopia

Abstract

Researches show biodiversity loss has been happening at an alarming scale in the recent decades and this state of affairs has significant implications for the health of local communities and environments across the world. Sacred natural sites (SNS) are increasingly considered showcases for the conservation of biological and cultural diversity, because their strong cultural importance derives from, and requires maintenance of, biodiversity. Tree biodiversity in general and medicinal plants in particular, which otherwise face increasing endangerment, find protection in SNS. The research described in this paper is concerned with the conservation of threatened medicinal plants in SNS and similar informal protection areas of Sidama, southwest Ethiopia. Mixed methods were used to inventory the medicinal plant biodiversity of such places and explore local understandings and explanations of the role such places play in conservation. The results suggest that where SNS exist, medicinal plants and traditional herbal medicine fare well. Further, the findings demonstrated that some medicinal plant species owe their continued existence to maintenance of SNS. This research is hoped to contribute towards improved understanding of the role SNS play in conserving medicinal plants as well as the resilience and dynamics of traditional herbal medicine in the context of SNS.