Plant use in Odo-Bulu and Demaro, Bale region, Ethiopia

Traditional plant knowledge has clearly declined in a large part of the research area. Western style health care services as provided by governments and NGOs, in particular in rural areas, seem to have contributed to a decline in traditional knowledge, in part because the local population simply regards western medicine as more effective and safer.Plants have been an integral part of life in many indigenous communities, and Africa is no exception [1,2]. Apart from providing building materials, fodder, weapons and other commodities, plants are especially important as traditional medicines. Many tribes and cultures in Africa have an elaborated plant knowledge-base [3]. Most of this knowledge is still entirely transferred orally within the family unit or community [4]. Western influences have, however, led to an accelerating decline of this tradition. For example, Western style healthcare supplied by some governments has been expanded in the last decades, but it is still often not readily available and many regions remain completely underserved. Subsequently, most rural communities still use herbal remedies as readily and cheaply available alternatives. This knowledge is however, rapidly dwindling due to desired changes towards a more Western lifestyle, and the influence of modern tourism and other agents of globalization.During the last decades, a vast array of ethnobotanical studies from Ethiopia has been published. Most of these focused however on the northern regions [5-12], as well central and southern Ethiopia [13-26].Various studies report on the toxicity and efficacy of Ethiopian traditional medicine [8,27-34].Our study was conducted in the eastern reaches of the Bale Mountains in the southern highlands of Ethiopia (approximately 6° 9'N, 40° 22'W) [35]. The study area covers an area approximately 380 km2 with elevations ranging from 1,500 m to 3,300 m (Figure 1). Mean minimum and maximum temperatures are 10.2 C° and 21.3 C°, respectively; while mean annual prec