Ethnobotanical study of wild edible plants among Oromo communities in Aseko District, Arsi Zone, southeast Ethiopia

Abstract

Abstract Background Wild edible plants (WEPs) contribute substantially to dietary diversity, food security, and cultural identity in rural Ethiopia. Despite their ecological, nutritional, and socioeconomic importance, they remain insufficiently documented and inadequately incorporated into national food security and biodiversity conservation policies. This study documents the diversity of WEPs and associated Oromo traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in Aseko District, Arsi Zone, southeastern Ethiopia. Methods Ethnobotanical data were collected from 206 informants (35 key informants and 171 general informants) across six kebeles representing lowland, midland, and highland agroecological zones. Data collection employed semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, guided field walks, and participant observation. Plant species were taxonomically verified using Plants of the World Online (POWO) and World Flora Online (WFO) following the APG IV classification system. Quantitative ethnobotanical indices, including Use Value (UV), Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) and Fidelity Level (FL), were calculated. Descriptive statistics, Generalized Linear Modeling (GLM), and qualitative thematic analyses were used to evaluate ethnobotanical knowledge and utilization patterns. Results A total of 70 wild edible plant species belonging to 58 genera and 32 families were documented. Fabaceae (15.7%, n = 11) and Malvaceae (5.7%, n = 4) were the most represented families. Fruits (42.9%, n = 30) and famine-reserve foods (20.0%, n = 14) constituted the dominant use categories. Indigenous safety practices including ripeness assessment, boiling, roasting, and fermentation demonstrated culturally developed risk-management strategies for safe consumption. Generalized Linear Modeling revealed that older age (IRR = 1.04, p < 0.001) and key informant status (IRR = 2.15, p < 0.001) were significant positive predictors of species knowledge. Agricultural expansion (67.3%) and fuelwood extraction (52.6%) were identified as the most severe perceived threats to WEP resources. Conclusions Wild edible plants remain integral components of local food systems in Aseko District. Strengthening the protection of indigenous ecological knowledge, promoting community-based conservation initiatives, and integrating traditional safety practices into food security and biodiversity conservation policies are essential for sustaining resilient livelihoods under changing environmental conditions.