Assessment of Ecological Distribution, Species Diversity, Utilization and Conservation of Indigenous Medicinal Plants in Kilifi North, Kilifi County –Kenya

Author(s): Rita Kanini Mulatya, Benards Okeyo, Najma Dharani

In Jilore, Magarini, and Matsangoni of Kilifi County, assessments of ecological species variety, distribution, abundance, and utilization of therapeutic flora were made. Total of 90 field survey forms were distributed randomly to 90 households. Additionally, 60 10m × 10m quadrats were set up along 6 transects to gather data on the vegetation.

From the study, 97 floral species were identified. Menhinick, Dominance, Shannon-weinner, and Margalef indices were 1.8, 0.93, 3.3 and 9.8 respectively. Sorensen’s similarity and Jaccard indices were 0.12 and 0.045 respectively. Abundance class 1 and 8-16 had the most species of 17 and 14 respectively, while class 128-256 and 256-512 had the least individual species. The findings showed that 51% of all respondents collected therapeutic flora as their prime health care to date.

There was a positive correlation with a p-value of 0.05 between utilization of medicinal plants and gender, level of education and income per capita with 0.349, 0.164 and 0.105 respectively. Conservation and domestication of medicinal plants was embraced by 40% of the respondents. There’s need for determination of the efficacy and pharmacological profiles of these curative plants in future since not everyone in the community was familiar with the species.