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Background: Ethiopia encompasses an extraordinary number of ecological zones and plant diversity. However, the diversity of plants is highly threatened due to lack of institutional capacity, population pressure, land degradation and deforestation. An adequate documentation of these plants also has not been conducted. The farmers in Ethiopia face serious and growing food insecurity caused by drought, land degradation and climate change. Thus, rural communities are dependent on underutilized wild edible plants to meet their food and nutritional needs. Hence, this study was conducted to examine the distribution, diversity, role, management condition and associated traditional knowledge of underutilized wild edible plants with a focus on woody plants in the Chilga District, northwestern Ethiopia. Methods: A questionnaire survey, semi-structured interviews, preference and direct matrix rankings, a market survey and focused group discussion methods were employed for data collection. Data were collected from 96 respondents. A plant inventory was also conducted on 144 quadrates in two agroecologies and in three uses. Both quantitative and qualitative data analysis methods were used. Statistical Analysis System (SAS) version 9.0 was used for statistical analysis. Analysis of Variance (P <0.05) was used to compare diversity indices and species richness between agroecologies and among kebeles. Results: Thirty-three underutilized wild edible plants were recorded in the study area. Of the recorded plants, 45% were trees. Fruits (76%) were the most frequently used plant parts. More than half of the respondents (56.3% in the midland and 66.7% in the lowland area) consumed underutilized wild edible plants for supplementing staple food. Underutilized wild edible plant citation of the poor was significantly higher (P <0.05) than medium and rich classes. Underutilized wild edible plants in the study area were threatened by agricultural expansion, overharvesting for fuel wood and construction, and by overgrazing. However, these plants have been given minimum conservation attention. Conclusions: Thirty-three underutilized wild edible plants were recorded in the study area. The community consumes underutilized wild edible plants for supplementing staple food, filling food gaps and for recreation. The local community applies only some management practices to some wild edible plants. Therefore, special management is needed to sustain the benefits of these plants.

Ipomoea reniformis Chaos is claimed in Indian traditional medical practice to be useful in the treatment of epilepsy and neurological disorders. In the present study, pretreatment effect of methanolic extract of Ipomoea reniformis on epilepsy and psychosis was evaluated in rodents using standard procedures. Besides evaluating epileptic and behavioral parameters, neurotransmitters such as Gamma-Amino Butyric Acid (GABA) in epilepsy and in psychosis dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin contents in the rodent brain were estimated. The extract pretreatment reduced maximal electro shock; Isoniazid (INH) and Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) induced seizures and also significantly inhibited the attenuation of brain GABA levels by INH and PTZ in mice. These results suggested that the observed beneficial effect in epilepsy may be by enhancing the GABAergic system. The test drug also inhibited the apomorphine induced climbing and stereotyped behavior and showed significantly reduced levels of brain dopamine, noradrenaline and serotonin which may be due to blocking of central dopaminergic, noradrenergic and serotonergic pathways or by enhancing the GABAergic system. The results obtained in present study suggest that the title plant possesses antiepileptic and antipsychotic activities in rodents.

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Accurate information on land use and land cover change (LULCC) is critical for understanding the causes of change and for developing effective policies and strategies to slow and reverse land degradation. In Ethiopia, the speed and scale of LULCC has been accelerated in the last 3-4 decades of the 21 st century. The objectives of this study were to assess: (i) the extent of LULCC and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and the link to land degradation; (ii) the causes of LULCC and implication for climate change adaptation. Satellite images analysis was used to detect the change in area and vegetation index, and farmers' perception to see the magnitude of LULCC dynamics and causes of deforestation. Correlations were made between vegetation index with dry season rainfall and temperature. The analysis of confusion matrix of LULC classification showed 87% accuracy with Kappa coefficient of 0.84. In the period 1986-2016, agriculture and settlement areas have increased by 250% and 618%, respectively. On the other hand, forests and woodlands have decreased by 72% and 84%, respectively. These were also validated with the farmers' quantification results with similar trends. Different causes have played roles in the dynamics of LULCC. The results showed that vegetation dynamics vary both spatially and temporally against precipitation and temperature. This study informs the need to focus on halting deforestation and development of alternative energy sources. It further helps to design future land management directions, landscape based adaptation and rehabilitation strategies to be considered by policy makers.