Conservation of Indigenous Plants of Socio-economic Importance in Tororo District, Eastern Uganda

Abstract

Indigenous plants of socio-economic importance were assessed in Osukuru County, Tororo District, eastern Uganda between 2003 and 2004. The study was funded by the Network of Ugandan Researchers and Research Users (NURRU). The aim was to find strategies for the conservation of native plants of importance. Questionnaires were issued to respondents in Kayoro and Osukuru parishes to collect data on native plants. The study showed that reasons for using plants are strong incentives for conservation of useful plants. Ethnobotanical information collected from the local people was useful for assessing the threat status of useful plants, for choosing plant species to promote, for selecting plant conservation strategies, and for harnessing locally developed solutions to problems of sustainable utilisation of plant resources. To be useful, research should attempt to address challenges on the use of plants other than only extracting information from the local community.