Assessing the Conservation Status, Perceptions and Cultural Beliefs Towards Traded Medicinal Plants to Inform Community-Led Conservation Interventions in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda

Assessing the Conservation Status, Perceptions and Cultural Beliefs Towards Traded Medicinal Plants to Inform Community-Led Conservation Interventions in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Assessing the Conservation Status, Perceptions and Cultural Beliefs Towards Traded Medicinal Plants to Inform Community-Led Conservation Interventions in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda Abubakar Sadik Mustafa, Jamilu E. Ssenku, Savina Asiimwe, Abdul Walusansa, and 2 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7357219/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Medicinal plants play a vital role in traditional healthcare and local economies in Uganda. Despite their importance, their survival is increasingly threatened by climate change, overharvesting, lack of conservation measures and unregulated trade. We investigated how trade, perceptions and cultural beliefs influence the conservation of medicinal plants species. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda, covering 17 sub-counties and targeting 300 respondents (herbalists, primary collectors, and traders) and 10 key informants using a semi structured questionnaire and interview guide. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically to explore respondent perceptions and cultural beliefs regarding medicinal plant conservation. This study revealed that 27 medicinal plant species are highly traded in Namutumba district with over 70% of the respondents selling above 1 Kg of herbal medicine per week, a clear indication of the pressure that trade is exerting on medicinal plants. Notably with great concern, some of these plants ( Warburgia ugandensis , Prunus africana , Tamarindus indica and Mondia whitei ) have been cited as being critically endangered or vulnerable to extinction. Some of these plants have become very scarce over the last 5 years. Most respondents expressed positive perception towards the conservation medicinal plants for future generations and acknowledged the role of cultural beliefs in conservation. The study underscores the need for culturally sensitive, community-driven conservation strategies for ensuring conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal plants in Namutumba district. There is an urgent need to come up with interventions to conserve the threatened and vulnerable medicinal plant species. Medicinal plants Conservation Traditional knowledge Climate change Cultural beliefs Community-based conservation Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Background to the study Medicinal plants have long served as a fundamental component of healthcare across cultures, playing a crucial role in treating a wide range of ailments (Shukla, 2023; Hounsou et al., 2024). Their importance remains particularly high in developing countries, where healthcare systems are often under-resourced, and traditional medicine offers an accessible and affordable alternative (Asigbaase et al., 2023; Mbelebele et al., 2024; Mapunda & Mramba, 2025). In Uganda, as in many parts of Africa, traditional medicine remains deeply embedded in local cultures and daily health practices, especially in rural and peri-urban communities (Ssenku et al., 2022). The widespread use of medicinal plants underscores the urgent need to conserve these valuable species. Despite their recognized value, medicinal plant species are increasingly under threat (Mapunda & Mramba, 2025). The rising global demand for herbal products, coupled with habitat loss, climate change, and unsustainable harvesting practices, are leading to rapid depletion of many species (Applequist et al., 2020; Jimoh et al., 2023). This overexploitation not only threatens biodiversity but also jeopardizes the sustainability of traditional health systems and the economies that depend on them. Furthermore, environmental pressures such as shifting temperature and rainfall patterns may alter the chemical composition and therapeutic potency of medicinal plants (Applequist et al., 2020). Eastern Uganda, in particular, faces a significant risk of medicinal plant species extinction, driven by a combination of factors. These include climate change, illegal and unregulated trade, overharvesting, and inadequate conservation strategies (Chen et al., 2016; Ssenku et al., 2022). Key species such as Ricinus communis and Ocimum basilicum have already shown vulnerability to climate-induced changes in phenology and availability. Unpredictable weather patterns further exacerbate the situation, impacting local harvesting cycles and the reliability of traditional medicine (Harish et al., 2012; Hounsou et al., 2024). While the herbal medicine industry has grown into a multibillion-dollar global market, with exports projected to reach over US$5 trillion by 2050 (Jadhav et al., 2020), there is very little effort dedicated on their conservation and sustainable utilization. The booming demand for medicinal plants incentivizes indiscriminate harvesting, especially for informal markets dominated by local collectors, healers, and traders, most of whom operate outside formal regulatory frameworks (Rasethe et al., 2019; Mofokeng et al., 2022). Traditional knowledge about medicinal plants includes time-tested, culturally-rooted methods of identification, understanding, application and conservation of plant-based therapies for health care, which are frequently passed down through generations. Like elsewhere in Africa, in Uganda, this knowledge is often transmitted orally and remains undocumented (Mbelebele et al., 2024). Moreover, this knowledge is increasingly threatened by environmental degradation, commercial exploitation, industrialization, adoption of Western lifestyles, and the marginalization of indigenous conservation practices. Studies reveal low levels of awareness regarding climate change impacts on medicinal plant diversity and a lack of commitment to cultivation practices among local communities (Agunbiade et al., 2012). Despite their central role in the medicinal plant value chain, the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of stakeholders such as herbalists, traders, and local healers towards conservation have not been systematically assessed in Eastern Uganda. This gap hinders the development of targeted, community-informed strategies for the sustainable management of these resources. In response, this study sought to explore and analyze local knowledge and conservation behaviors related to commonly traded medicinal plants in Eastern Uganda within the context of climate change and commercialization. Understanding local attitudes and perceptions could help shape conservation frameworks that not only protect plant biodiversity but also support the livelihoods of communities dependent on traditional medicine. By engaging stakeholders across the medicinal plant value chain, the research aims to inform evidence-based conservation interventions that are culturally relevant, environmentally adaptive, and socioeconomically inclusive. MATERIALS AND METHODS Description of study site Namutumba District is located in Eastern Uganda between latitudes 0°41′49.173″N and 1°19′55″N and longitudes 33°37′59.308″E and covers 812 Sq. Km. The elevation of Namutumba district is approximately 1,080 meters above sea level. It is approximately 120 Km northeast of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, and 45 Km northwest of Jinja city which is the largest city in Busoga region. The dominant ethnic group is the Basoga whose local language is Lusoga. The district population increased from 252,557 in 2014 to 311,463 in 2024 (growth rate of 2.3% annually), with 157,349 (50.5%) being female (UBOS, 2024 ). The local economy is largely agrarian, with 85% of the rural population engaged in subsistence farming. Key crops include rice, cassava, millet, groundnuts, and sorghum. Namutumba is one of the poorest districts in the region and like many similar communities, it grapples with inadequate healthcare resources, increasing their reliance on herbal medicine for primary health care. The district is served by two private hospitals, one health centre IV, seven health centre III, and 25 health centre II (Namutumba, 2022 ). Namutumba District experiences a tropical climate characterized by a bimodal rainfall pattern, with two main rainy seasons occurring from March to June and August to November. Annual rainfall ranges from 900 mm to 1,150 mm, with an average of approximately 1,000 mm. The temperature ranges between 22℃ and 27℃, with an annual mean temperature of 25℃. Despite its relatively favorable climatic conditions for agriculture, the district is increasingly affected by climatic extremes, such as unpredictable rainfall and prolonged dry spells, which pose a threat to the survival and sustainability of local plant diversity, including medicinal plant species. The study was conducted in 17 sub-counties of the District (Fig. 1 ). Study population Namutumba district remains one of the least economically developed in Eastern Uganda, with widespread poverty and limited access to quality healthcare. Health services are constrained, prompting many residents to rely on traditional herbal medicine for both health care and income. The study targeted herbalists, primary collectors, and traders of herbal medicine in Namutumba district. The herbalists were medical practitioners who were directly interacting with patients seeking medical treatment, primary collectors were involved in collection and cultivation of medicinal plants while traders were involved in small scale and large scale sale of medicinal plants. From consultations with the District Community Development Officer (DCDO), 1,400 registered herbal medicine practitioners were identified. A sample of 300 participants was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table, and selected through simple random sampling: 240 herbalists, 33 primary collectors, 26 retailers, and 1 wholesaler. Additionally, 10 Key Informants were purposively selected based on their knowledge and expertise in Namutumba district's herbal medicine sector. These included District Community Development Officer (DCDO), District Environmental Officer, District Health Officer, District Forestry Officer, leaders of traditional medical practitioner’s association (Tweyambe Association, Uganda Ne Dagalalyayo, Uganda Traditional Healers and Herbalist Association, Medicinal Plant Traders, Uganda Herbalist and Cultural Association and Traditional Birth Attendants). Data collection This was a cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Data collection was done between May and September 2024. Face-to-face interviews with herbalists, primary collectors and traders were conducted using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire administered through the Open Data Kit (ODK) software. The questionnaire sought data on socio-demographic characteristics of respondents and explored their perceptions and cultural beliefs on the conservation of medicinal plants. The perceptions were measured using a five point Likert scale. Key Informant interviews were conducted using open-ended questionnaire. All interviews were conducted in Lusoga, and in some cases, in English. Voucher specimens for the medicinal plants were collected using standard procedure described by Carter et al. ( 2007 ) and deposited at Makerere University Herbarium for identification and repository. Scientific names were verified using the comprehensive WFO Plant List database accessed at https://wfoplantlist.org/ . The global and national threat status of the plants were determined through the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants ( https://www.iucnredlist.org/ ) and the National Plant Threat Status Redlist For Uganda (Prinsloo et al., 2016 ), respectively. Data analysis The data were entered into Ms Excel, cleaned, coded and exported to IBM SPSS version 20.0 for analysis. Frequency tables, bar graphs, and proportions were used to present socio-demographic data and major research findings. Bivariate analyses were done using chi-square test to explore the association between socio-demographic factors and level of respondents’ perceptions and cultural beliefs on the conservation of medicinal plants. In addition, ordinal logistic regression was used to model the influence of key demographic variables on selected perceptions, regardless of their initial bivariate significance in order to explore potential interaction effects and control for confounding effects. All statistical analyses were done at 5% level of significance using SPSS Version 20.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). Data visualization was performed on Graphpad Prism software (v8.0.2; GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA, USA). For qualitative data, all the interviews that were audio recorded were transcribed verbatim. The Key Informant interviews that were conducted in local languages were translated into English and then transcribed. Validated transcripts were read by a team of four people to identify and generate the codes, main themes and sub themes. The codes were compared and differences were resolved for validity and reliability. RESULTS Socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents A total of 236 (78.7%) males and 64 females (21.3) were interviewed in this survey with the biggest number of respondents (37.7%) being 41–50 years in age (Table 1 ). Eighty-nine percent of the respondents were married and 61% had attained at least primary-level education (Table 1 ). Majority of the respondents were either Muslims (49%) or Christians (35.7%). Table 1 Socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents Variable Frequency % Variable Frequency % Marital status Gender Divorced/ Separated 13 4.3 Male 236 78.7 Married 267 89.0 Female 64 21.3 Single 20 6.7 Age Religion 61 31 10.3 Pentecostal 3 1.0 31–40 76 25.3 Protestant 107 35.7 41–50 113 37.7 Seventh day Adventist 1 0.3 51–60 66 22.0 Jews faith 1 0.3 Highest education Catholics 29 9.7 None 88 29.3 African Traditional Religion 12 4.0 Primary 183 61.0 Quantity of herbal medicine sold per week Secondary 28 9.3 10 Kg 13 4.3 Category 1–5 Kg 166 55.3 Herbalists 240 80.0 6–10 Kg 30 10.0 Primary collector 33 11.0 Retailors 26 8.7 Whole seller 1 0.3 Commonly traded medicinal plants This study revealed that over 70% of the respondents sold above 1 Kg of herbal medicine per week (Table 1 ), a clear indication of the pressure that trade is exerting on medicinal plants, a threat to their conservation. At an average of 1 Kg per person for the 70% (210) respondents translates to 210 Kg of medicinal plants per week. This underscores the need to device strategies to protect and conserve medicinal plant species. This study interviewed 10 key informants who included leaders of herbalist associations, the district forestry officer, the district community development officer, leaders of medicinal plant traders’ associations and district health officer. The key informants corroborated the study findings by listing 27 medicinal plant species that are highly traded in Namutumba district (Table 2 ). Notably with great concern, some of these plants have been cited as being critically endangered or vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN Red List of Threatened medicinal plants and Prinsloo et al. ( 2016 ). Among these species, it was only Warburgia ugandensis , that is reported to be critically endangered as per the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species ( https://www.iucnredlist.org/ ) (Table 2 ). Similarly, it is only Prunus africana that is reported to be vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. We went ahead to assess the national threat status of the highly traded medicinal plants in Namutumba district using The National Redlist by Prinsloo et al. ( 2016 ) and it revealed that Warburgia ugandensis , Prunus africana , Tamarindus indica and Mondia whitei are ‘vulnerable’ to extinction (Table 2 ). These medicinal plant species are used to treat several ailments, and are thus on high demand nationally. However, there are no efforts to ensure sustainable utilization to conserve the species for the future generations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to come up with species-specific conservation interventions for the threatened medicinal plant species. The remaining species are reported to be either of ‘least concern’ or ‘not evaluated’. Table 2 Commonly traded medicinal plants in Namutumba district No. Local name Family Scientific name Global Threat Status National Threat Status 1. Balwegira Canellaceae Warburgia ugandensis Sprague Critically Endangered Vulnerable 2. Entasesa Rosaceae Prunus africana (Hook.f.) Kalkman Vulnerable Vulnerable 3. Enkoge Fabaceae Tamarindus indica L. Not Evaluate Vulnerable 4. Mulondo Apocynaceae Mondia whitei (Hook.f.) Skeels Not Evaluated Vulnerable 5. Olweza Amaranthaceae Aerva lanata (L.) Juss. Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 6. Mululuza Asteraceae Gymnanthemum amygdalinum (Del.) Sch.Bip ex Walp. Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 7. Kafuga-ngande Asteraceae Conyza pyrrhopappa Sch.Bip. ex A.Rich. Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 8. Kayayana Asteraceae Cyanthillium cinereum (L.) H.Rob. Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 9. Mukasa Asteraceae Emilia coccinea (Sims) G.Don Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 10. Izimya Asteraceae Solanecio angulatus (Vahl) C. Jeffrey Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 11. Lubirizi olutono Rubiaceae Microglossa pyrifolia (Lam.) Kuntze Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 12. Omukondwa Burseraceae Commiphora africana (A. Rich.) Engl. Least Concern Not Evaluated 13. Katasubwa Capparaceae Capparis tomentosa Lam. Not Evaluated Not Evaluate 14. Zizi Cucurbitaceae Kedrostis foetidissima (Jacq.) Cogn. Not Evaluated Not Evaluate 15. Castor plant Euphorbiaceae Ricinus communis Least Concern Not Evaluate 16. Musita Fabaceae Albizia coriaria Welw. ex Oliv. Least Concern Not Evaluate 17. Mukyusa nduba Fabaceae Chamaecrista nigricans (Vahl) Greene Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 18. Newtonia Fabaceae Newtonia buchananii (Baker) G.C.C.Gilbert & Boutique Least Concern Not Evaluated 19. Muhologoma Fabaceae Vachellia amythethophylla (Steud. ex A.Rich.) Kyal. & Boatwr. Least Concern Not Evaluated 20. Nimu Meliaceae Azadirachta indica A. Juss Least Concern Not Evaluated 21. Mugailei Moraceae Ficus natalensis Hochst., Least Concern Not Evaluated 22. Moringa Moringaceae Moringa oleifera Lam. Least Concern Not Evaluated 23. Kalitunsi Myrtaceae Eucalyptus tectonia Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 24. Lukandwa Phyllanthaceae Flueggea virosa (Roxb. ex Willd.) Royle Least Concern Not Evaluated 25. Mpoza Talinaceae Talinum portulacifolium (Forssk.) Asch. ex Schweinf. Least Concern Not Evaluated 26. Kikaka Asphodelaceae Aloe perfoliata L. Least Concern Not Evaluated 27. Mutambula-kiro Anacardiaceae Lannea barteri (Oliv.) Engl. Least Concern Not Evaluated Availability of medicinal plants in Namutumba district over the last 5 years We went further to investigate the availability of medicinal plants over the last 5 years in Namutumba district. Quite interestingly, majority of the respondents (88%) agreed that most of the plants have become very scarce to find over the last 5 years (Fig. 2 , Table 3 ). A smaller proportion (9%) reported that most of the plants were available while 2% stated that none were available (Fig. 2 , Table 3 ). Despite having the knowledge of the rapidly disappearing medicinal plants, a potential threat to their existence, no interventions have been designed to ensure that these medicinal plants are protected and conserved. Table 3 Medicinal plants whose availability has declined over the past five years in Namutumba district No. Local name Family Scientific name Global Threat Status National Threat Status 1. Makaka Fabaceae Carmichaelia australis R.Br. Least Concern Not Evaluated 2. Omulilira Hypericaceae Harungana madagascariensis Lam. ex Poir. Least Concern Not Evaluated 3. Omukondwa Burseraceae Commiphora africana (A. Rich.) Engl. Least Concern Not Evaluated 4. Muhologoma Fabaceae Vachellia amythethophylla (Steud. ex A.Rich.) Kyal. & Boatwr. Least Concern Not Evaluated 5. Omuwaiswa Celastraceae Gymnosporia senegalensis (Lam.) Loes. Least Concern Not Evaluated 6. Omuyirigiti Fabaceae Erythrina abyssinica Lam. Least Concern Not Evaluated 7. Mutambula-kiro Anacardiaceae Lannea barteri (Oliv.) Engl. Least Concern Not Evaluated 8. Izimya Asteraceae Solanecio angulatus (Vahl) C.Jeffrey Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 9. Muzinga kyalo Capparaceae Maerua triphylla A. Rich. Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 10. Mukyusa nduba Fabaceae Chamaecrista nigricans (Vahl) Greene Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 11. Mukitimbo Fabaceae Indigofera garckeana Vatke Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 12. Mwesende Malvaceae Sida cuneifolia Roxb. Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 13. Mutamatama Rubiaceae Mitragyna rubrostipulata (K.Schum.) Havil. Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 14. Mpangula Ranunculaceae Clematis hirsuta Guill. & Perr. Not Evaluated Not Evaluated 15. Kikaka Asphodelaceae Aloe perfoliata L. Least Concern Not Evaluated 16. Katasubwa Capparaceae Capparis tomentosa Lam. Not Evaluated Not Evaluate 17. Zilba Unidentified Unidentified 18. Tusangaire Unidentified Unidentified 19. Mugabe Unidentified Unidentified 20. Iwosa Unidentified Unidentified 21. Rundusu Unidentified Unidentified 22. Bakitya Unidentified Unidentified Importance of conservation and strategies for protecting medicinal plants amidst climate change When asked about the importance of conserving medicinal plants, the most common reason cited was their availability and accessibility (98.3%) (Fig. 3 A). In contrast, provision of ecosystem services was the least cited reason (29.3%) (Fig. 3 A). Key informants corroborated these findings by listing affordability, accessibility, income generation and ability to treat various ailments as key reasons for conservation of medicinal plants. This study also revealed that the respondents were aware of practices that could contribute to conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal plant resources which included the use sustainable harvesting practices (96.3%), conservation of in-situ habitats (94.3%) and breeding for climate resilience (39.7%) (Fig. 3 B). A quarter of the respondents (25%) reported the presence of community-led initiative to combat the effects of climate change whereas 75% believed no such initiatives existed in their areas. Key informants noted that the limited access to communal land hindered collective conservation efforts leading to most medicinal plants being conserved in home gardens. Nonetheless, they acknowledged the substantial efforts by the district administration to conserve wetlands, a key habitat of many medicinal plants. When asked about the existence of laws regarding the collection, processing and selling of medicinal plants, 38.7% believed that such laws existed while a large number (61.3%) were unaware. A vast majority of the respondents (98%) expressed the need for increased awareness about conservation of medicinal plants. Key informants reported that formal environmental conservation awareness programs were largely lacking. They also noted that district leaders have proposed launching awareness initiatives through community dialogues, radio talk shows, and enhancement of wetland restoration efforts. Perceptions on conservation of medicinal plants Most respondents expressed positive perception towards the importance of conserving medicinal plants for future generations and showed a willingness to support community-based conservation initiatives (Table 4 ). Additionally, 85.7% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that cultivation of medicinal plants could support the conservation of medicinal plant species. However, 31.4% reported non-compliance with regulations on medicinal plants conservation, and 33.3% indicated that current laws and policies are inadequate. An overwhelming majority (99.3%) of respondents believe that climate change impacts the conservation of medicinal plants. Furthermore, 69.7% agreed or strongly agreed that cultural and socio-economic factors influence their perceptions towards conservation. Most respondents (89.3%) believe that community-based initiatives are essential for the conservation of medicinal plants and emphasized the need for community involvement in the design and implementation of conservation strategies (Table 4 ). Key informants called for the involvement of government in the conservation of medicinal plants. They recommended strict enforcement of regulations on harvesting medicinal plants, promotion of ex-situ conservation efforts and establishment of demonstration farms for medicinal plants cultivation by government. They further highlighted the need for the formal integration of herbal medicine into national healthcare system, training of traditional healers, sensitization on sustainable harvesting practices and value addition techniques to increase shelf life of medicinal plants. Increase in staffing and funding for research and development in the forestry sector were also recommended. Key informants further stressed the need for herbalists to collaborate with the local council to identify and conserve the endangered or vulnerable medicinal plant species. Reforestation was also strongly recommended with each individual urged to plant at least 10 trees during each rainy season. Table 4 Respondents’ perceptions (%) towards conservation of medicinal plants (n = 300) Statement Strongly disagree Disagree Neither agree nor disagree Agree Strongly agree Overall Perception Positive Negative It is important to conserve for future generations -- -- -- 16.7 83.3 100.0 -- I am willing to support community conservation -- -- -- 25.0 75.0 100.0 -- Conservation should be prioritized over resource use -- -- 4.0 37.7 58.3 96.0 -- I am concerned about declining populations of medicinal plants -- 9.0 6.7 30.7 53.7 84.4 9.0 I am willing to volunteer in medicinal plant conservation efforts -- 0.3 2.3 25.3 72.0 97.3 0.3 Trade threatens the conservation of medicinal plants -- 2.3 17.3 32.0 48.3 80.3 2.3 Community-centered interventions leads to sustainability of medicinal plants -- 0.3 16.0 38.0 45.7 83.7 0.3 There is need for strict licensing to regulate the access and use of medicinal plants 0.3 9.0 41.0 19.7 30.0 49.7 9.3 Existing policies are adequate to address conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal plants 14.3 19.0 43.0 12.3 11.3 23.6 33.3 There is need for medicinal plant conservation awareness campaigns -- -- 11.7 38.3 50.0 88.3 -- My community values medicinal plant conservation 9.3 10.3 26.3 30.3 23.7 54.0 19.6 Medicinal plants obtained from the wild plants are more effective than those cultivated 11.3 1.7 14.3 28.3 44.3 72.6 13.0 Climate change has an impact on the availability and conservation of medicinal plants -- 0.3 0.3 12.3 87.0 99.3 0.3 Relationship between social demographic factors and selected perceptions towards medicinal plant conservation policies The statistical analysis revealed a significant association between respondents’ age and their willingness to support medicinal plant conservation (Chi square test, χ² = 14.20, df = 4, p = 0.0067). The highest level of willingness to support medicinal plants conservation was observed among individuals aged 41–50, with 113 respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing (Fig. 4 ). High levels of medicinal plant conservation support were also recorded among those aged 31–40 and 51–60 (Fig. 4 ). The statistical analysis also revealed a significant association between respondents’ sex and their perception of the adequacy of existing policies and laws on medicinal plant conservation (Chi square test, χ² = 14.47, df = 4, p = 0.0059) (Fig. 5 A). A higher proportion of females (32.8%) compared to males (21.2%) considered the policies adequate, suggesting greater confidence in the legal framework among women (Fig. 5 A). We report a significant association between sex and the perception of community awareness and compliance with laws related to the collection, processing, and sale of medicinal plants (χ² = 15.41, df = 4, p = 0.0039) (Fig. 5 B). Similar to the adequacy of conservation policies, although more males agreed overall, a greater proportion of females (50.0%) than males (43.2%) agreed or strongly agreed, indicating relatively higher confidence in the policies among women (Fig. 5 B). Cultural beliefs on conservation of medicinal plants A substantial proportion of the respondents (86.7%) affirmed the existence of cultural beliefs that influence medicinal plant conservation. About 89.3% of the respondents acknowledged the existence of taboos related to the harvesting or use of certain medicinal plants. Concerning the role of traditional knowledge and practices on the sustainable utilization of medicinal plants, majority of the respondents (82%) expressed the view that these practices contribute positively to sustainability. Conversely, 8.7% believed that traditional practices do not support sustainable use, and 9.3% indicated lack of awareness regarding such practices. Furthermore, 76% of the respondents believed that traditional healers play a role in ensuring the sustainable utilization of medicinal plants. Key informant interviews revealed limited awareness of cultural practices explicitly aimed at medicinal plant conservation. However, some informants acknowledged that certain traditional customs indirectly promote medicinal plants conservation efforts. These include the use of specific medicinal plant species as landmarks, planting of medicinal plants around water sources, and cultivation of medicinal plants by elderly community members who recognize their therapeutic value. Majority of respondents (86.3%) reported the use of medicinal plants in rituals or ceremonies. A large proportion of the respondents (87.3%) have observed changes in the cultural beliefs related to medicinal plant use over the past decade. When asked about the impact of modernization and globalization on cultural beliefs associated with medicinal plants, 88% of the respondents acknowledged a significant impact. Most of the respondents (86%) further believed that conflicts exist between cultural beliefs and contemporary conservation efforts. Key informants highlighted that certain cultural beliefs, such as Milicia excelsa trees harboring malevolent spirits, hindering conservation initiatives. Additionally, it was noted that some religious leaders actively preach against the use of medicinal plants, which could further impede conservation efforts. An overwhelming majority (92.3%) of the respondents acknowledged the use of rituals before the harvesting, use and processing of medicinal plants. Furthermore, 88.3% of the respondents believed that certain medicinal plants should not be cultivated but only used from wild collections. Interestingly, when asked whether customers would be willing to buy cultivated medicinal plants, a significant proportion of the respondents (86.3%) believed customers would accept. A small proportion (2.3%) believe customers would reject cultivated medicinal plants, while 11.3% were uncertain. DISCUSSION Socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents In this study, a vast majority of the respondents (78.7%) were males indicating their dominance in the traditional herbal industry in Namutumba District. The dominance of males in the herbal industry was reported in some parts of Uganda such as Butaleja district (Ssenku et al., 2022 ) and in other African countries such as Malawi (Ajak et al., 2018 ). Comparable trends were also observed in China (Liu et al., 2021 ) and Nepal (Pyakurel et al., 2018 ). In most African societies, traditional knowledge is passed through patrilineal lineage which could explain the higher involvement of males in the herbal industry. However, female dominance in the traditional herbal industry have been reported elsewhere, for example in Ghana (Van Andel et al., 2012 ) and Benin (Quiroz et al., 2014 ). These studies confirm that gender disparities in herbal sector are not universal rather they are socially and culturally constructed. Therefore, there should be programs to increase women participation in the herbal industry in male dominated herbal sectors like Namutumba district to ensure inclusivity development. In this study, majority of the respondents (70%) were aged 41 or older indicating an increasing role of the elderly in the medicinal plant industry. Elderly people aged greater than 40 were found to have significant knowledge about medicinal plants than those aged between (18–40) years in Ethiopia (Giday et al., 2003 ). In addition, Abera ( 2014 ) reported that the young generation in the Chimbi district, Ethiopia, showed little interest in sharing knowledge about the use of medicinal plants. Medicinal plant conservation amidst climate change and proliferating trade Many of the respondents in this study emphasized the need to conserve medicinal plants. The major reason for conserving medicinal plants was to increase their availability and accessibility while other ecosystem services were minamally mentioned. The minimal citation of ecosystem services could be associated with limited understanding of broader ecological roles of the ecosystems where medicinal plants are habited. Thus, the current conservation efforts are mainly motivated by the utilitarian values while undervaluing the long-term ecological functions of medicinal plants. This could in the near future lead to exploitation of medicinal plants to levels that may accelerate medicinal plants depletion and further weaken climate adaptation systems. Thus, there is need for targeted campaigns that go beyond these immediate values. A vast majority of respondents reported the use of sustainable harvesting to conserve medicinal plants. These self-reported statistics on sustainable harvesting practices are promising but may not be relied on. For sustainable medicinal plants utilization to be guaranteed in Namutumba, there is a need for well-designed community structures, monitoring, and incentivization. In this study, 75% of the respondents believed that there were no community based initiatives to protect medicinal plants from effects of climate change and trade. This reflects a significant gap in environmental protection and thus there is need to empower communities to address effects of climate change and trade on the availability and sustainability of medicinal plants. While 98% of respondents supported the need for increased conservation awareness, key informants pointed out the absence of formal education programs, noting that awareness efforts currently occur informally during social events such as community gatherings or funerals. This indicates strong community willingness but institutional failure in Namutumba district. Furthermore, 61.3% of respondents in this study believed that there are no laws regarding the collection, processing and selling of medicinal plants. This gap in legal awareness suggests poor policy communication or enforcement. In the face of climate change, strong legal frameworks are essential to prevent overharvesting, promote cultivation and regulate trade routes. Therefore, there is a need for adoption of climate-adaptive medicinal plant conservation strategies. Perceptions on conservation of medicinal plants Interestingly, all respondents in this study demonstrated positive attitudes towards conservation of medicinal plants for future generations and they supported community-based conservation. This is in line with Khan et al. ( 2022 ) who reported that 70% of the respondents supported natural resource conservation with 98% preferring the adoption of community-based strategies. This study shows poor knowledge and compliance to regulatory guidelines such as licensing. Only 44.7% of the respondents believed that it was important to be compliant with regulations involved in the medicinal plant industry. Poor compliance to regulatory guidelines is not unique to Namutumba district but a phenomenon that was similarly reported by Ouoba et al. ( 2022 ), where vast majority of herbalists (82%) and herbal medical centers (92%) did not have licenses to operate. Key informants in this study emphasized the need for the government to play a major role in conservation of medicinal plants and also called for increased collaboration between herbalists and the government. The Ministry of health in Uganda has proposed a Bill to establish a National Council for Indigenous and Complementary Medicine Practitioners to foster collaboration between traditional practitioners and modern healthcare, regulate traditional practice, and protect intellectual property rights, aiming for better integration, standardized practices, and preservation of traditional knowledge (De Coninck, 2019 ). In this study, social demographic factors did not influence attitudes towards medicinal plant conservation policies. Although social-demographic factors may not directly influence policy, they are important in preserving ethnobotanical knowledge (Tamene et al., 2024 ). Cultural beliefs on conservation of medicinal plants The findings from the study reveal that cultural beliefs and traditional knowledge systems could play a pivotal role in shaping conservation attitudes and practices towards medicinal plants in Namutumba. With 86.7% of respondents affirming that cultural beliefs influence conservation, it is evident that local beliefs and value systems, such as the protection of spiritually significant forests may act as informal but powerful medicinal plant species conservation mechanisms. This is consistent with findings from a similar study by Ssenku et al. ( 2022 ), in the neighboring district of Butalejja with similar cultural settings where sacred groves and taboos protect medicinal plants biodiversity hotspots. Moreover, there is a strong belief in the contribution of traditional knowledge to sustainable utilization of medicinal plants. This underscores the importance of blending relevant traditional knowledge and practices for development of strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation leading to sustainable solutions to medicinal plant biodiversity loss. Traditional knowledge and practices develop adaptive capacity of the communities to collectively respond to stressful conditions and thus heighten their resilience (Mukhopadhyay & Roy, 2015 ). Rooted in generations of lived experience, such knowledge not only foster responsible harvesting but also offers adaptive strategies for climate resilience (Buriro et al., 2024 ; Jakes, 2024 ). As such, conservation strategies that ignore these embedded systems risk being misaligned with local realities and are unlikely to gain meaningful community support. However, the study also highlights significant threats to these established traditional knowledge systems. The majority of respondents (87.3%) reported changes in cultural beliefs over the past decade, and 88% attributed this shift to modernization and globalization. We observed rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles that are known to erode ethnobotanical knowledge and disruption of traditional conservation practices. Aswani et al. (2018) observed that traditional knowledge persists only when it is intentionally maintained or integrated into hybrid systems, often incentivized by economic opportunities. This finding is crucial in the context of Namutumba, where increased trade in medicinal plants (both formal and informal) is rising amidst broader developmental transitions. The use of medicinal plants in rituals and ceremonies by 86.3% of respondents also points to the multifunctional role of these species, not only as health remedies, but also as cultural and spiritual symbols. This aspect must be prioritized when drawing conservation strategies, in order to balance economic use and cultural preservation. The belief among 88.3% of respondents that certain medicinal plants should not be cultivated due to cultural taboos mirrors findings in South Africa, where 68 plant species were reportedly protected from cultivation due to spiritual or traditional norms (Karunamoorthi & Tsehaye, 2012 ). Such perspectives challenge western-based conservation programs, which may inadvertently undermine cultural norms if implemented without community participation. Conclusions and recommendations This study underscores the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect medicinal plant species in Namutumba district, Uganda. Our findings reveal that several highly traded medicinal plants are vulnerable or critically endangered, with over 70% of respondents selling above 1 kg of herbal medicine per week. The study highlights the importance of community-led initiatives, sustainable harvesting practices, and awareness campaigns to ensure the long-term conservation of medicinal plants. Moreover, our results show that cultural beliefs and traditional practices can both positively and negatively impact conservation efforts. Therefore, we recommend species-specific conservation interventions, strict enforcement of regulations, and formal integration of herbal medicine into the national healthcare system. Effective conservation strategies will require collaboration among stakeholders, including herbalists, local communities, and government agencies. Ultimately, our study provides valuable insights for policymakers and conservationists working to protect medicinal plant resources in Uganda. We therefore recommend a multi-stakeholder engagement involving herbalists, herbal medicine traders, local government officials, policy makers and herbal medicine association leaders in coming up with evidence-based and community-led medicinal plant conservation strategies that are climate-adaptive to ensure sustainable utilization and availability for generations to come. Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate Ethical approval of the study was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of Uganda Christian University (UCU) and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNSCT), under reference number UCUREC-2024-1057 and SS3825ES, respectively. A consultative meeting with various stakeholders was held during a pre-visit in Namutumba District for in-depth discussions of the research study and to seek permission to conduct research in the District. Prior to participation, all the respondents were taken through the informed consent process, and all the ethical guidelines governing research on human participant were followed. The study purpose and objectives were clearly explained and each of the study participant signed the informed consent form before the interviews were conducted ensuring their voluntary participation and awareness. The study participants were informed of their rights to participate, to refuse to participate and to withdraw at any time without giving a reason. Additionally, written consent was obtained from all key informants prior to conducting the key informant interviews. Consent for publication Informed consent was obtained from all the study participants for the publication of the anonymized data collected. Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ contributions ASM, JES and PT conceived the research idea, conducted the survey and collected data; ASM, JES, PT and FK analyzed the data; wrote the original draft of the manuscript; SA and AW reviewed and edited the manuscript; ASM, JES, PT, SA, AW and FK made final manuscript review, journal selection and approved submission. Funding This research was funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research & Innovations Fund. Data availability The authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article. References Abera, B. (2014). Medicinal plants used in traditional medicine by Oromo people, Ghimbi District, Southwest Ethiopia. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 10 , 1-15. Ajak, B. J., Kyazze, F. B. & Mukwaya, P. I. (2018). Choice of adaptation strategies to climate variability among smallholder farmers in the maize based cropping system in Namutumba District, Uganda. American Journal of Climate Change, 7 (3), 431-451. Applequist, W. L., Brinckmann, J. A., Cunningham, A. B., Hart, R. E., Heinrich, M., Katerere, D. R. & van Andel, T. (2020). Scientistsʼ Warning on Climate Change and Medicinal Plants. Planta Med, 86 (01), 10-18. doi:https://doi.otg/10.1055/a-1041-3406 Asigbaase, M., Adusu, D., Anaba, L., Abugre, S., Kang-Milung, S., Acheamfour, S. A., Adamu, I. & Ackah, D. K. (2023). Conservation and economic benefits of medicinal plants: Insights from forest-fringe communities of Southwestern Ghana. Trees, Forests and People, 14 , 100462. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tfp.2023.100462 Buriro, S. A., Abro, A. A. & Abro, A. A. (2024). Sindhi Indigenous Ecological Knowledge: Sustainable Practices for Climate Change Resilience. Journal of Asian Development Studies, 13 (3), 734-748. doi:https://doi.org/10.62345/jads.2024.13.3.61 Carter, R., Bryson, C. T. & Darbyshire, S. J. (2007). Preparation and use of voucher specimens for documenting research in weed science. Weed Technology, 21 (4), 1101-1108. doi:https://doi.org/10.1614/WT-07-007.1 Chen, S.-L., Yu, H., Luo, H.-M., Wu, Q., Li, C.-F. & Steinmetz, A. (2016). Conservation and sustainable use of medicinal plants: problems, progress, and prospects. Chinese Medicine, 11 (1), 37. doi:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13020-016-0108-7 De Coninck, J. (2019). Promoting herbal medicine in Uganda: traditional health practitioners and government working together. Kampala: Cross-Cultural Foundation of Uganda . Giday, M., Asfaw, Z., Elmqvist, T. & Woldu, Z. (2003). An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants used by the Zay people in Ethiopia. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 85 (1), 43-52. Harish, B., Dandin, S., Umesha, K. & Sasanur, A. (2012). Impact of climate change on medicinal plants-A review. Anc Sci Life, 32 (Suppl 1), S23. Hounsou, E. K., Sonibare, M. A. & Elufioye, T. O. (2024). Climate change and the future of medicinal plants research. Bioactive Compounds in Health and Disease-Online., 7 (3), 152-169. doi:https://doi.org/10.31989/bchd.v7i3.1310 Jadhav, C. A., Vikhe, D. N. & Jadhav, R. (2020). Global and domestic market of herbal medicines: A review. Research Journal of Science and Technology, 12 (4), 327-330. doi:https://doi.org/10.5958/2349-2988.2020.00049.2 Jakes, V. (2024). The role of traditional knowledge in sustainable development. International Journal of Humanity and Social Sciences, 3 (2), 40-55. Jimoh, M. A., Jimoh, M. O., Saheed, S. A., Bamigboye, S. O., Laubscher, C. P. & Kambizi, L. (2023). Commercialization of Medicinal Plants: Opportunities for Trade and Concerns for Biodiversity Conservation. In Sustainable Uses and Prospects of Medicinal Plants (pp. 309-332). Karunamoorthi, K. & Tsehaye, E. (2012). Ethnomedicinal knowledge, belief and self-reported practice of local inhabitants on traditional antimalarial plants and phytotherapy. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 141 (1), 143-150. Khan, M. Z., Ali, N. & Margerum, R. D. (2022). Community-based and traditional natural resource conservation in Northern Pakistan: comparative analysis of attitudes and beliefs. Journal of Environmental Planning and Management, 65 (14), 2657-2675. Liu, S., Zhang, B., Zhou, J., Lei, Q., Fang, Q., Kennelly, E. J. & Long, C. (2021). Herbal plants traded at the Kaili medicinal market, Guizhou, China. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 17 , 1-37. Mapunda, P. E. & Mramba, R. P. (2025). Medicinal plant use and conservation in Tanzania: perspectives from university of Dodoma students. Discover Social Science and Health, 5 (1), 77. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s44155-025-00232-2 Mbelebele, Z., Mdoda, L., Ntlanga, S. S., Nontu, Y. & Gidi, L. S. (2024). Harmonizing traditional knowledge with environmental preservation: Sustainable strategies for the conservation of indigenous medicinal plants (IMPs) and their implications for economic well-being. Sustainability, 16 (14), 5841. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/su16145841 Mofokeng, M. M., Du Plooy, C. P., Araya, H. T., Amoo, S. O., Mokgehle, S. N., Pofu, K. M. & Mashela, P. W. (2022). Medicinal plant cultivation for sustainable use and commercialisation of high-value crops. South African Journal of Science, 118 (7-8), 1-7. Mukhopadhyay, R. & Roy, S. (2015). Traditional knowledge for biodiversity conservation, maintain ecosystem services and livelihood security in the context of climate change: Case studies from West Bengal, India. Journal of Biodiversity, 6 (1-2), 22-29. Namutumba. (2022). Namutumba District 2022 Retrieved from https://namutumba.go.ug/lg/district-location-and-its-neighbors. Ouoba, K., Lehmann, H., Zongo, A., Amari, A. S. G., Semdé, R. & Pabst, J.-Y. (2022). Compliance to the legal and ethical requirements for the practice of traditional medicine: a cross-sectional study among traditional health practitioners in Burkina Faso. European Journal of Integrative Medicine, 56 , 102189. Prinsloo, S., Plumptre, A. J. & Ayebare, S. (2016). National plant threat status redlist for Uganda: National red list for Uganda for the following taxa: Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, butterflies, dragonflies and vascular plants. Retrieved from Uganda: Pyakurel, D., Sharma, I. B. & Smith-Hall, C. (2018). Patterns of change: the dynamics of medicinal plant trade in far-western Nepal. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 224 , 323-334. Quiroz, D., Towns, A., Legba, S. I., Swier, J., Brière, S., Sosef, M. & van Andel, T. (2014). Quantifying the domestic market in herbal medicine in Benin, West Africa. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 151 (3), 1100-1108. Rasethe, M. T., Semenya, S. S. & Maroyi, A. (2019). Medicinal Plants Traded in Informal Herbal Medicine Markets of the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2019 (1), 2609532. doi:https://doi.org/10.1155/2019/2609532 Shukla, S. K. (2023). Conservation of medicinal plants: challenges and opportunities. J. Med. Bot, 7 , 5-10. doi:https://doi.org/10.25081/jmb.2023.v7.8437 Ssenku, J. E., Okurut, S. A., Namuli, A., Kudamba, A., Tugume, P., Matovu, P., Wasige, G., Kafeero, H. M. & Walusansa, A. (2022). Medicinal plant use, conservation, and the associated traditional knowledge in rural communities in Eastern Uganda. Tropical Medicine and Health, 50 (1), 39. Tamene, S., Negash, M., Makonda, F. B. & Chiwona-Karltun, L. (2024). Influence of socio-demographic factors on medicinal plant knowledge among three selected ethnic groups in south-central Ethiopia. Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine, 20 (1), 29. UBOS. (2024). The National Population and Housing Census 2024 Retrieved from Kampala, Uganda: Van Andel, T., Myren, B. & Van Onselen, S. (2012). Ghana's herbal market. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 140 (2), 368-378. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7357219","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":501957032,"identity":"d25fc32f-6641-42a2-b416-2667345da135","order_by":0,"name":"Abubakar Sadik Mustafa","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Makerere University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Abubakar","middleName":"Sadik","lastName":"Mustafa","suffix":""},{"id":501957033,"identity":"df064cb7-e658-4be6-a2d2-99e01346c918","order_by":1,"name":"Jamilu E. 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15:08:32","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7357219/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7357219/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":89499117,"identity":"6e180622-c0d3-4a50-a1cd-958cc308b688","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-20 15:38:38","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":297314,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eStudy areas in Namutumba district\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7357219/v1/2438ef44825d9b522bd94a1e.png"},{"id":89499038,"identity":"7aa9c851-5129-4fe7-bf9d-b09f0ca808b8","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-20 15:38:36","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":70086,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAssessing the availability of traded medicinal plants in Namutumba district\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7357219/v1/cc18d2fb51db4ee1508e97ea.png"},{"id":89499036,"identity":"e8f6c1ca-a86e-49c4-9820-e0a4169f0e55","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-20 15:38:36","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":141459,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImportance of conserving medicinal plants (A) and Strategies for protecting of medicinal plants amidst climate change (B).\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7357219/v1/41bd0471ad88601383712ba7.png"},{"id":89499115,"identity":"fa73f0cc-c153-4887-8e1f-203bd9e31c71","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-20 15:38:38","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":70559,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRelationship between respondents’ age and their willingness to support medicinal plant conservation\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7357219/v1/5dbff56dde7d0ca61e0992e2.png"},{"id":89499120,"identity":"2090eff7-eb07-4bfd-91bc-a70de6c56eb5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2025-08-20 15:38:38","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":85686,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eRelationship between respondents’ gender and the perceptions that: A) the existing regulatory policies are adequate for medicinal plant conservation, and B) there is community awareness and compliance with the laws governing the collection, processing and selling of medicinal plants\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"floatimage5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7357219/v1/6978f34daf5e93303192103a.png"},{"id":107435771,"identity":"d8ff8cb9-1e4c-40fd-8597-d0cf9078e142","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-21 13:12:10","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":1667963,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-7357219/v1/3293dfe1-d2b0-4edb-ad90-c1671c4f783d.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Assessing the Conservation Status, Perceptions and Cultural Beliefs Towards Traded Medicinal Plants to Inform Community-Led Conservation Interventions in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda","fulltext":[{"header":"Background to the study","content":"\u003cp\u003eMedicinal plants have long served as a fundamental component of healthcare across cultures, playing a crucial role in treating a wide range of ailments (Shukla, 2023; Hounsou et al., 2024). Their importance remains particularly high in developing countries, where healthcare systems are often under-resourced, and traditional medicine offers an accessible and affordable alternative\u0026nbsp;(Asigbaase et al., 2023; Mbelebele et al., 2024; Mapunda \u0026amp; Mramba, 2025). In Uganda, as in many parts of Africa, traditional medicine remains deeply embedded in local cultures and daily health practices, especially in rural and peri-urban communities\u0026nbsp;(Ssenku et al., 2022). The widespread use of medicinal plants underscores the urgent need to conserve these valuable species.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDespite their recognized value, medicinal plant species are increasingly under threat (Mapunda \u0026amp; Mramba, 2025). The rising global demand for herbal products, coupled with habitat loss, climate change, and unsustainable harvesting practices, are leading to rapid depletion of many species (Applequist et al., 2020; Jimoh et al., 2023). This overexploitation not only threatens biodiversity but also jeopardizes the sustainability of traditional health systems and the economies that depend on them. Furthermore, environmental pressures such as shifting temperature and rainfall patterns may alter the chemical composition and therapeutic potency of medicinal plants (Applequist et al., 2020).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Eastern Uganda, in particular, faces a significant risk of medicinal plant species extinction, driven by a combination of factors. These include climate change, illegal and unregulated trade, overharvesting, and inadequate conservation strategies (Chen et al., 2016; Ssenku et al., 2022). Key species such as \u003cem\u003eRicinus communis\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eOcimum basilicum\u003c/em\u003e have already shown vulnerability to climate-induced changes in phenology and availability. Unpredictable weather patterns further exacerbate the situation, impacting local harvesting cycles and the reliability of traditional medicine (Harish et al., 2012; Hounsou et al., 2024). While the herbal medicine industry has grown into a multibillion-dollar global market, with exports projected to reach over US$5 trillion by 2050 (Jadhav et al., 2020), there is very little effort dedicated on their conservation and sustainable utilization. The booming demand for medicinal plants incentivizes indiscriminate harvesting, especially for informal markets dominated by local collectors, healers, and traders, most of whom operate outside formal regulatory frameworks (Rasethe et al., 2019; Mofokeng et al., 2022).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Traditional knowledge about medicinal plants includes time-tested, culturally-rooted methods of identification, understanding, application and conservation of plant-based therapies for health care, which are frequently passed down through generations. Like elsewhere in Africa, in Uganda, this knowledge is often transmitted orally and remains undocumented (Mbelebele et al., 2024). Moreover, this knowledge is increasingly threatened by environmental degradation, commercial exploitation, industrialization, adoption of Western lifestyles, and the marginalization of indigenous conservation practices. Studies reveal low levels of awareness regarding climate change impacts on medicinal plant diversity and a lack of commitment to cultivation practices among local communities (Agunbiade et al., 2012).\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u0026nbsp;Despite their central role in the medicinal plant value chain, the knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes of stakeholders such as herbalists, traders, and local healers towards conservation have not been systematically assessed in Eastern Uganda. This gap hinders the development of targeted, community-informed strategies for the sustainable management of these resources. In response, this study sought to explore and analyze local knowledge and conservation behaviors related to commonly traded medicinal plants in Eastern Uganda within the context of climate change and commercialization. Understanding local attitudes and perceptions could help shape conservation frameworks that not only protect plant biodiversity but also support the livelihoods of communities dependent on traditional medicine. By engaging stakeholders across the medicinal plant value chain, the research aims to inform evidence-based conservation interventions that are culturally relevant, environmentally adaptive, and socioeconomically inclusive.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"MATERIALS AND METHODS","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec2\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eDescription of study site\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eNamutumba District is located in Eastern Uganda between latitudes 0\u0026deg;41\u0026prime;49.173\u0026Prime;N and 1\u0026deg;19\u0026prime;55\u0026Prime;N and longitudes 33\u0026deg;37\u0026prime;59.308\u0026Prime;E and covers 812 Sq. Km. The elevation of Namutumba district is approximately 1,080 meters above sea level. It is approximately 120 Km northeast of Kampala, the capital city of Uganda, and 45 Km northwest of Jinja city which is the largest city in Busoga region. The dominant ethnic group is the Basoga whose local language is Lusoga. The district population increased from 252,557 in 2014 to 311,463 in 2024 (growth rate of 2.3% annually), with 157,349 (50.5%) being female (UBOS, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR31\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). The local economy is largely agrarian, with 85% of the rural population engaged in subsistence farming. Key crops include rice, cassava, millet, groundnuts, and sorghum. Namutumba is one of the poorest districts in the region and like many similar communities, it grapples with inadequate healthcare resources, increasing their reliance on herbal medicine for primary health care. The district is served by two private hospitals, one health centre IV, seven health centre III, and 25 health centre II (Namutumba, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR22\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNamutumba District experiences a tropical climate characterized by a bimodal rainfall pattern, with two main rainy seasons occurring from March to June and August to November. Annual rainfall ranges from 900 mm to 1,150 mm, with an average of approximately 1,000 mm. The temperature ranges between 22℃ and 27℃, with an annual mean temperature of 25℃. Despite its relatively favorable climatic conditions for agriculture, the district is increasingly affected by climatic extremes, such as unpredictable rainfall and prolonged dry spells, which pose a threat to the survival and sustainability of local plant diversity, including medicinal plant species. The study was conducted in 17 sub-counties of the District (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec3\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eStudy population\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eNamutumba district remains one of the least economically developed in Eastern Uganda, with widespread poverty and limited access to quality healthcare. Health services are constrained, prompting many residents to rely on traditional herbal medicine for both health care and income. The study targeted herbalists, primary collectors, and traders of herbal medicine in Namutumba district. The herbalists were medical practitioners who were directly interacting with patients seeking medical treatment, primary collectors were involved in collection and cultivation of medicinal plants while traders were involved in small scale and large scale sale of medicinal plants. From consultations with the District Community Development Officer (DCDO), 1,400 registered herbal medicine practitioners were identified. A sample of 300 participants was determined using the Krejcie and Morgan (1970) table, and selected through simple random sampling: 240 herbalists, 33 primary collectors, 26 retailers, and 1 wholesaler. Additionally, 10 Key Informants were purposively selected based on their knowledge and expertise in Namutumba district's herbal medicine sector. These included District Community Development Officer (DCDO), District Environmental Officer, District Health Officer, District Forestry Officer, leaders of traditional medical practitioner\u0026rsquo;s association (Tweyambe Association, Uganda Ne Dagalalyayo, Uganda Traditional Healers and Herbalist Association, Medicinal Plant Traders, Uganda Herbalist and Cultural Association and Traditional Birth Attendants).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eData collection\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was a cross-sectional study using both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Data collection was done between May and September 2024. Face-to-face interviews with herbalists, primary collectors and traders were conducted using a pretested semi-structured questionnaire administered through the Open Data Kit (ODK) software. The questionnaire sought data on socio-demographic characteristics of respondents and explored their perceptions and cultural beliefs on the conservation of medicinal plants. The perceptions were measured using a five point Likert scale. Key Informant interviews were conducted using open-ended questionnaire. All interviews were conducted in Lusoga, and in some cases, in English.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eVoucher specimens for the medicinal plants were collected using standard procedure described by Carter et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2007\u003c/span\u003e) and deposited at Makerere University Herbarium for identification and repository. Scientific names were verified using the comprehensive WFO Plant List database accessed at \u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://wfoplantlist.org/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://wfoplantlist.org/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e. The global and national threat status of the plants were determined through the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants (\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.iucnredlist.org/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.iucnredlist.org/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e) and the National Plant Threat Status Redlist For Uganda (Prinsloo et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e), respectively.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec5\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eData analysis\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe data were entered into Ms Excel, cleaned, coded and exported to IBM SPSS version 20.0 for analysis. Frequency tables, bar graphs, and proportions were used to present socio-demographic data and major research findings. Bivariate analyses were done using chi-square test to explore the association between socio-demographic factors and level of respondents\u0026rsquo; perceptions and cultural beliefs on the conservation of medicinal plants. In addition, ordinal logistic regression was used to model the influence of key demographic variables on selected perceptions, regardless of their initial bivariate significance in order to explore potential interaction effects and control for confounding effects. All statistical analyses were done at 5% level of significance using SPSS Version 20.0 (Armonk, NY: IBM Corp). Data visualization was performed on Graphpad Prism software (v8.0.2; GraphPad Software, San Diego, CA, USA).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor qualitative data, all the interviews that were audio recorded were transcribed verbatim. The Key Informant interviews that were conducted in local languages were translated into English and then transcribed. Validated transcripts were read by a team of four people to identify and generate the codes, main themes and sub themes. The codes were compared and differences were resolved for validity and reliability.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"RESULTS","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec7\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSocio-demographic characteristics of the respondents\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA total of 236 (78.7%) males and 64 females (21.3) were interviewed in this survey with the biggest number of respondents (37.7%) being 41\u0026ndash;50 years in age (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Eighty-nine percent of the respondents were married and 61% had attained at least primary-level education (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Majority of the respondents were either Muslims (49%) or Christians (35.7%).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSocio-demographic characteristics of the respondents\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"7\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVariable\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFrequency\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e%\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarital status\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGender\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDivorced/ Separated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e236\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e78.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMarried\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e267\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e89.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFemale\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e64\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSingle\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAge\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eReligion\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt; 30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMuslim\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e147\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e49.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;61\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e31\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePentecostal\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e31\u0026ndash;40\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e76\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eProtestant\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e107\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e35.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41\u0026ndash;50\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e113\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSeventh day Adventist\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e51\u0026ndash;60\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e66\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eJews faith\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eHighest education\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCatholics\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e29\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNone\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e88\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e29.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfrican Traditional Religion\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrimary\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e183\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e61.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuantity of herbal medicine sold per week\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eSecondary\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026lt;1 Kg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e91\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTertiary\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u0026gt;10 Kg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCategory\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u0026ndash;5 Kg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e166\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e55.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHerbalists\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e240\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e80.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6\u0026ndash;10 Kg\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePrimary collector\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e33\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRetailors\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhole seller\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec8\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCommonly traded medicinal plants\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study revealed that over 70% of the respondents sold above 1 Kg of herbal medicine per week (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e), a clear indication of the pressure that trade is exerting on medicinal plants, a threat to their conservation. At an average of 1 Kg per person for the 70% (210) respondents translates to 210 Kg of medicinal plants per week. This underscores the need to device strategies to protect and conserve medicinal plant species.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis study interviewed 10 key informants who included leaders of herbalist associations, the district forestry officer, the district community development officer, leaders of medicinal plant traders\u0026rsquo; associations and district health officer. The key informants corroborated the study findings by listing 27 medicinal plant species that are highly traded in Namutumba district (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Notably with great concern, some of these plants have been cited as being critically endangered or vulnerable to extinction by the IUCN Red List of Threatened medicinal plants and Prinsloo et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e). Among these species, it was only \u003cem\u003eWarburgia ugandensis\u003c/em\u003e, that is reported to be critically endangered as per the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (\u003cspan class=\"ExternalRef\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"RefSource\"\u003ehttps://www.iucnredlist.org/\u003c/span\u003e\u003cspan address=\"https://www.iucnredlist.org/\" targettype=\"URL\" class=\"RefTarget\"\u003e\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/span\u003e) (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, it is only \u003cem\u003ePrunus africana\u003c/em\u003e that is reported to be vulnerable by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. We went ahead to assess the national threat status of the highly traded medicinal plants in Namutumba district using The National Redlist by Prinsloo et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR24\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2016\u003c/span\u003e) and it revealed that \u003cem\u003eWarburgia ugandensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePrunus africana\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eTamarindus indica\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eMondia whitei\u003c/em\u003e are \u0026lsquo;vulnerable\u0026rsquo; to extinction (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThese medicinal plant species are used to treat several ailments, and are thus on high demand nationally. However, there are no efforts to ensure sustainable utilization to conserve the species for the future generations. Therefore, there is an urgent need to come up with species-specific conservation interventions for the threatened medicinal plant species. The remaining species are reported to be either of \u0026lsquo;least concern\u0026rsquo; or \u0026lsquo;not evaluated\u0026rsquo;.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCommonly traded medicinal plants in Namutumba district\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocal name\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFamily\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eScientific name\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGlobal\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThreat Status\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNational\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThreat Status\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBalwegira\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCanellaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eWarburgia ugandensis\u003c/em\u003e Sprague\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCritically Endangered\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVulnerable\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEntasesa\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRosaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003ePrunus africana\u003c/em\u003e (Hook.f.) Kalkman\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVulnerable\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVulnerable\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEnkoge\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFabaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTamarindus indica\u003c/em\u003e L.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVulnerable\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMulondo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eApocynaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMondia whitei\u003c/em\u003e (Hook.f.) Skeels\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eVulnerable\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOlweza\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAmaranthaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAerva lanata\u003c/em\u003e (L.) Juss.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMululuza\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAsteraceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGymnanthemum amygdalinum\u003c/em\u003e (Del.) Sch.Bip ex Walp.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKafuga-ngande\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAsteraceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eConyza pyrrhopappa\u003c/em\u003e Sch.Bip. ex A.Rich.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKayayana\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAsteraceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCyanthillium cinereum\u003c/em\u003e (L.) H.Rob.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMukasa\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAsteraceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEmilia coccinea\u003c/em\u003e (Sims) G.Don\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIzimya\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAsteraceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSolanecio angulatus\u003c/em\u003e (Vahl) C. Jeffrey\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLubirizi olutono\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRubiaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMicroglossa pyrifolia\u003c/em\u003e (Lam.) Kuntze\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOmukondwa\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBurseraceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCommiphora africana\u003c/em\u003e (A. Rich.) Engl.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKatasubwa\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCapparaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCapparis tomentosa\u003c/em\u003e Lam.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eZizi\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCucurbitaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eKedrostis foetidissima\u003c/em\u003e (Jacq.) Cogn.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCastor plant\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eEuphorbiaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eRicinus communis\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMusita\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFabaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAlbizia coriaria\u003c/em\u003e Welw. ex Oliv.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMukyusa nduba\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFabaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChamaecrista nigricans\u003c/em\u003e (Vahl) Greene\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNewtonia\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFabaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eNewtonia buchananii\u003c/em\u003e (Baker) G.C.C.Gilbert \u0026amp; Boutique\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMuhologoma\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFabaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVachellia amythethophylla (Steud. ex A.Rich.) Kyal. \u0026amp; Boatwr.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNimu\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMeliaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAzadirachta indica\u003c/em\u003e A. Juss\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMugailei\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoraceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFicus natalensis\u003c/em\u003e Hochst.,\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoringa\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMoringaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMoringa oleifera\u003c/em\u003e Lam.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKalitunsi\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMyrtaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEucalyptus tectonia\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e24.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLukandwa\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003ePhyllanthaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eFlueggea virosa\u003c/em\u003e (Roxb. ex Willd.) Royle\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMpoza\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTalinaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eTalinum portulacifolium\u003c/em\u003e (Forssk.) Asch. ex Schweinf.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKikaka\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAsphodelaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAloe perfoliata\u003c/em\u003e L.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e27.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMutambula-kiro\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnacardiaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLannea barteri\u003c/em\u003e (Oliv.) Engl.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAvailability of medicinal plants in Namutumba district over the last 5 years\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe went further to investigate the availability of medicinal plants over the last 5 years in Namutumba district. Quite interestingly, majority of the respondents (88%) agreed that most of the plants have become very scarce to find over the last 5 years (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). A smaller proportion (9%) reported that most of the plants were available while 2% stated that none were available (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e, Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). Despite having the knowledge of the rapidly disappearing medicinal plants, a potential threat to their existence, no interventions have been designed to ensure that these medicinal plants are protected and conserved.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMedicinal plants whose availability has declined over the past five years in Namutumba district\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNo.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLocal name\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFamily\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eScientific name\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eGlobal Threat Status\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNational Threat Status\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMakaka\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFabaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCarmichaelia australis\u003c/em\u003e R.Br.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOmulilira\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eHypericaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eHarungana madagascariensis\u003c/em\u003e Lam. ex Poir.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e3.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOmukondwa\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBurseraceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCommiphora africana\u003c/em\u003e (A. Rich.) Engl.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMuhologoma\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFabaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eVachellia amythethophylla (Steud. ex A.Rich.) Kyal. \u0026amp; Boatwr.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e5.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOmuwaiswa\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCelastraceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eGymnosporia senegalensis\u003c/em\u003e (Lam.) Loes.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOmuyirigiti\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFabaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eErythrina abyssinica\u003c/em\u003e Lam.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e7.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMutambula-kiro\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnacardiaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eLannea barteri\u003c/em\u003e (Oliv.) Engl.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e8.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIzimya\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAsteraceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSolanecio angulatus\u003c/em\u003e (Vahl) C.Jeffrey\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMuzinga kyalo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCapparaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMaerua triphylla\u003c/em\u003e A. Rich.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMukyusa nduba\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFabaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChamaecrista nigricans\u003c/em\u003e (Vahl) Greene\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMukitimbo\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eFabaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIndigofera garckeana\u003c/em\u003e Vatke\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMwesende\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMalvaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eSida cuneifolia\u003c/em\u003e Roxb.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMutamatama\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRubiaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eMitragyna rubrostipulata\u003c/em\u003e (K.Schum.) Havil.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMpangula\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRanunculaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eClematis hirsuta\u003c/em\u003e Guill. \u0026amp; Perr.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e15.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKikaka\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAsphodelaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eAloe perfoliata\u003c/em\u003e L.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eLeast Concern\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eKatasubwa\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCapparaceae\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eCapparis tomentosa\u003c/em\u003e Lam.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNot Evaluate\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eZilba\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e18.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTusangaire\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMugabe\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e20.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIwosa\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e21.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRundusu\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e22.\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBakitya\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eUnidentified\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eImportance of conservation and strategies for protecting medicinal plants amidst climate change\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen asked about the importance of conserving medicinal plants, the most common reason cited was their availability and accessibility (98.3%) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003eA). In contrast, provision of ecosystem services was the least cited reason (29.3%) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003eA). Key informants corroborated these findings by listing affordability, accessibility, income generation and ability to treat various ailments as key reasons for conservation of medicinal plants. This study also revealed that the respondents were aware of practices that could contribute to conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal plant resources which included the use sustainable harvesting practices (96.3%), conservation of \u003cem\u003ein-situ\u003c/em\u003e habitats (94.3%) and breeding for climate resilience (39.7%) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003eB). A quarter of the respondents (25%) reported the presence of community-led initiative to combat the effects of climate change whereas 75% believed no such initiatives existed in their areas.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKey informants noted that the limited access to communal land hindered collective conservation efforts leading to most medicinal plants being conserved in home gardens. Nonetheless, they acknowledged the substantial efforts by the district administration to conserve wetlands, a key habitat of many medicinal plants. When asked about the existence of laws regarding the collection, processing and selling of medicinal plants, 38.7% believed that such laws existed while a large number (61.3%) were unaware. A vast majority of the respondents (98%) expressed the need for increased awareness about conservation of medicinal plants. Key informants reported that formal environmental conservation awareness programs were largely lacking. They also noted that district leaders have proposed launching awareness initiatives through community dialogues, radio talk shows, and enhancement of wetland restoration efforts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec11\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePerceptions on conservation of medicinal plants\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eMost respondents expressed positive perception towards the importance of conserving medicinal plants for future generations and showed a willingness to support community-based conservation initiatives (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). Additionally, 85.7% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that cultivation of medicinal plants could support the conservation of medicinal plant species. However, 31.4% reported non-compliance with regulations on medicinal plants conservation, and 33.3% indicated that current laws and policies are inadequate. An overwhelming majority (99.3%) of respondents believe that climate change impacts the conservation of medicinal plants. Furthermore, 69.7% agreed or strongly agreed that cultural and socio-economic factors influence their perceptions towards conservation. Most respondents (89.3%) believe that community-based initiatives are essential for the conservation of medicinal plants and emphasized the need for community involvement in the design and implementation of conservation strategies (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKey informants called for the involvement of government in the conservation of medicinal plants. They recommended strict enforcement of regulations on harvesting medicinal plants, promotion of \u003cem\u003eex-situ\u003c/em\u003e conservation efforts and establishment of demonstration farms for medicinal plants cultivation by government. They further highlighted the need for the formal integration of herbal medicine into national healthcare system, training of traditional healers, sensitization on sustainable harvesting practices and value addition techniques to increase shelf life of medicinal plants. Increase in staffing and funding for research and development in the forestry sector were also recommended. Key informants further stressed the need for herbalists to collaborate with the local council to identify and conserve the endangered or vulnerable medicinal plant species. Reforestation was also strongly recommended with each individual urged to plant at least 10 trees during each rainy season.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab4\" border=\"1\"\u003e\u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 4\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eRespondents\u0026rsquo; perceptions (%) towards conservation of medicinal plants (n\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;300)\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/caption\u003e\u003ccolgroup cols=\"9\"\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c7\" colnum=\"7\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c8\" colnum=\"8\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c9\" colnum=\"9\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cthead\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStatement\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStrongly disagree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eDisagree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eNeither agree nor disagree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c6\" namest=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eAgree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c7\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eStrongly agree\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003cth align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c9\" namest=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eOverall Perception\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/thead\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePositive\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNegative\u003c/b\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is important to conserve for future generations\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e83.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI am willing to support community conservation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e75.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e100.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eConservation should be prioritized over resource use\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e4.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e37.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e58.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e96.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI am concerned about declining populations of medicinal plants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e6.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e53.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e84.4\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eI am willing to volunteer in medicinal plant conservation efforts\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e25.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e72.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e97.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eTrade threatens the conservation of medicinal plants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e17.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e32.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e48.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e80.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e2.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eCommunity-centered interventions leads to sustainability of medicinal plants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e16.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e45.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e83.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is need for strict licensing to regulate the access and use of medicinal plants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e41.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e49.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eExisting policies are adequate to address conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal plants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e43.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e33.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere is need for medicinal plant conservation awareness campaigns\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e38.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e50.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e88.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy community values medicinal plant conservation\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e9.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e10.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e26.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e30.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e23.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e54.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e19.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eMedicinal plants obtained from the wild plants are more effective than those cultivated\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e11.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e1.7\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e14.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e28.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e44.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e72.6\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e13.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eClimate change has an impact on the availability and conservation of medicinal plants\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e--\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e12.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colspan=\"2\" nameend=\"c7\" namest=\"c6\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e87.0\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c8\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e99.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c9\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e0.3\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e\u003c/tbody\u003e\u003c/colgroup\u003e\u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec12\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eRelationship between social demographic factors and selected perceptions towards medicinal plant conservation policies\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe statistical analysis revealed a significant association between respondents\u0026rsquo; age and their willingness to support medicinal plant conservation (Chi square test, χ\u0026sup2; = 14.20, \u003cem\u003edf\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.0067).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe highest level of willingness to support medicinal plants conservation was observed among individuals aged 41\u0026ndash;50, with 113 respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). High levels of medicinal plant conservation support were also recorded among those aged 31\u0026ndash;40 and 51\u0026ndash;60 (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe statistical analysis also revealed a significant association between respondents\u0026rsquo; sex and their perception of the adequacy of existing policies and laws on medicinal plant conservation (Chi square test, χ\u0026sup2; = 14.47, \u003cem\u003edf\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.0059) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003eA). A higher proportion of females (32.8%) compared to males (21.2%) considered the policies adequate, suggesting greater confidence in the legal framework among women (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003eA).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWe report a significant association between sex and the perception of community awareness and compliance with laws related to the collection, processing, and sale of medicinal plants (χ\u0026sup2; = 15.41, \u003cem\u003edf\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;4, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.0039) (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003eB). Similar to the adequacy of conservation policies, although more males agreed overall, a greater proportion of females (50.0%) than males (43.2%) agreed or strongly agreed, indicating relatively higher confidence in the policies among women (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003eB).\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec13\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCultural beliefs on conservation of medicinal plants\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eA substantial proportion of the respondents (86.7%) affirmed the existence of cultural beliefs that influence medicinal plant conservation. About 89.3% of the respondents acknowledged the existence of taboos related to the harvesting or use of certain medicinal plants. Concerning the role of traditional knowledge and practices on the sustainable utilization of medicinal plants, majority of the respondents (82%) expressed the view that these practices contribute positively to sustainability. Conversely, 8.7% believed that traditional practices do not support sustainable use, and 9.3% indicated lack of awareness regarding such practices. Furthermore, 76% of the respondents believed that traditional healers play a role in ensuring the sustainable utilization of medicinal plants. Key informant interviews revealed limited awareness of cultural practices explicitly aimed at medicinal plant conservation. However, some informants acknowledged that certain traditional customs indirectly promote medicinal plants conservation efforts. These include the use of specific medicinal plant species as landmarks, planting of medicinal plants around water sources, and cultivation of medicinal plants by elderly community members who recognize their therapeutic value.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMajority of respondents (86.3%) reported the use of medicinal plants in rituals or ceremonies. A large proportion of the respondents (87.3%) have observed changes in the cultural beliefs related to medicinal plant use over the past decade. When asked about the impact of modernization and globalization on cultural beliefs associated with medicinal plants, 88% of the respondents acknowledged a significant impact. Most of the respondents (86%) further believed that conflicts exist between cultural beliefs and contemporary conservation efforts. Key informants highlighted that certain cultural beliefs, such as \u003cem\u003eMilicia excelsa\u003c/em\u003e trees harboring malevolent spirits, hindering conservation initiatives. Additionally, it was noted that some religious leaders actively preach against the use of medicinal plants, which could further impede conservation efforts.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn overwhelming majority (92.3%) of the respondents acknowledged the use of rituals before the harvesting, use and processing of medicinal plants. Furthermore, 88.3% of the respondents believed that certain medicinal plants should not be cultivated but only used from wild collections. Interestingly, when asked whether customers would be willing to buy cultivated medicinal plants, a significant proportion of the respondents (86.3%) believed customers would accept. A small proportion (2.3%) believe customers would reject cultivated medicinal plants, while 11.3% were uncertain.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"DISCUSSION","content":"\u003cdiv id=\"Sec15\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eSocio-demographic characteristics of the respondents\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this study, a vast majority of the respondents (78.7%) were males indicating their dominance in the traditional herbal industry in Namutumba District. The dominance of males in the herbal industry was reported in some parts of Uganda such as Butaleja district (Ssenku et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) and in other African countries such as Malawi (Ajak et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). Comparable trends were also observed in China (Liu et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2021\u003c/span\u003e) and Nepal (Pyakurel et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR25\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2018\u003c/span\u003e). In most African societies, traditional knowledge is passed through patrilineal lineage which could explain the higher involvement of males in the herbal industry. However, female dominance in the traditional herbal industry have been reported elsewhere, for example in Ghana (Van Andel et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR32\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e) and Benin (Quiroz et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR26\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e). These studies confirm that gender disparities in herbal sector are not universal rather they are socially and culturally constructed. Therefore, there should be programs to increase women participation in the herbal industry in male dominated herbal sectors like Namutumba district to ensure inclusivity development. In this study, majority of the respondents (70%) were aged 41 or older indicating an increasing role of the elderly in the medicinal plant industry. Elderly people aged greater than 40 were found to have significant knowledge about medicinal plants than those aged between (18–40) years in Ethiopia (Giday et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR9\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2003\u003c/span\u003e). In addition, Abera (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2014\u003c/span\u003e) reported that the young generation in the Chimbi district, Ethiopia, showed little interest in sharing knowledge about the use of medicinal plants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec16\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMedicinal plant conservation amidst climate change and proliferating trade\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eMany of the respondents in this study emphasized the need to conserve medicinal plants. The major reason for conserving medicinal plants was to increase their availability and accessibility while other ecosystem services were minamally mentioned. The minimal citation of ecosystem services could be associated with limited understanding of broader ecological roles of the ecosystems where medicinal plants are habited. Thus, the current conservation efforts are mainly motivated by the utilitarian values while undervaluing the long-term ecological functions of medicinal plants. This could in the near future lead to exploitation of medicinal plants to levels that may accelerate medicinal plants depletion and further weaken climate adaptation systems. Thus, there is need for targeted campaigns that go beyond these immediate values.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA vast majority of respondents reported the use of sustainable harvesting to conserve medicinal plants. These self-reported statistics on sustainable harvesting practices are promising but may not be relied on. For sustainable medicinal plants utilization to be guaranteed in Namutumba, there is a need for well-designed community structures, monitoring, and incentivization. In this study, 75% of the respondents believed that there were no community based initiatives to protect medicinal plants from effects of climate change and trade. This reflects a significant gap in environmental protection and thus there is need to empower communities to address effects of climate change and trade on the availability and sustainability of medicinal plants.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhile 98% of respondents supported the need for increased conservation awareness, key informants pointed out the absence of formal education programs, noting that awareness efforts currently occur informally during social events such as community gatherings or funerals. This indicates strong community willingness but institutional failure in Namutumba district. Furthermore, 61.3% of respondents in this study believed that there are no laws regarding the collection, processing and selling of medicinal plants. This gap in legal awareness suggests poor policy communication or enforcement. In the face of climate change, strong legal frameworks are essential to prevent overharvesting, promote cultivation and regulate trade routes. Therefore, there is a need for adoption of climate-adaptive medicinal plant conservation strategies.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec17\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003ePerceptions on conservation of medicinal plants\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eInterestingly, all respondents in this study demonstrated positive attitudes towards conservation of medicinal plants for future generations and they supported community-based conservation. This is in line with Khan et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e) who reported that 70% of the respondents supported natural resource conservation with 98% preferring the adoption of community-based strategies. This study shows poor knowledge and compliance to regulatory guidelines such as licensing. Only 44.7% of the respondents believed that it was important to be compliant with regulations involved in the medicinal plant industry. Poor compliance to regulatory guidelines is not unique to Namutumba district but a phenomenon that was similarly reported by Ouoba et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR23\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), where vast majority of herbalists (82%) and herbal medical centers (92%) did not have licenses to operate. Key informants in this study emphasized the need for the government to play a major role in conservation of medicinal plants and also called for increased collaboration between herbalists and the government. The Ministry of health in Uganda has proposed a Bill to establish a National Council for Indigenous and Complementary Medicine Practitioners to foster collaboration between traditional practitioners and modern healthcare, regulate traditional practice, and protect intellectual property rights, aiming for better integration, standardized practices, and preservation of traditional knowledge (De Coninck, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e). In this study, social demographic factors did not influence attitudes towards medicinal plant conservation policies. Although social-demographic factors may not directly influence policy, they are important in preserving ethnobotanical knowledge (Tamene et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR30\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\u003cdiv id=\"Sec18\" class=\"Section2\"\u003e\u003ch2\u003eCultural beliefs on conservation of medicinal plants\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe findings from the study reveal that cultural beliefs and traditional knowledge systems could play a pivotal role in shaping conservation attitudes and practices towards medicinal plants in Namutumba. With 86.7% of respondents affirming that cultural beliefs influence conservation, it is evident that local beliefs and value systems, such as the protection of spiritually significant forests may act as informal but powerful medicinal plant species conservation mechanisms. This is consistent with findings from a similar study by Ssenku et al. (\u003cspan citationid=\"CR29\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2022\u003c/span\u003e), in the neighboring district of Butalejja with similar cultural settings where sacred groves and taboos protect medicinal plants biodiversity hotspots. Moreover, there is a strong belief in the contribution of traditional knowledge to sustainable utilization of medicinal plants. This underscores the importance of blending relevant traditional knowledge and practices for development of strategies for climate change adaptation and mitigation leading to sustainable solutions to medicinal plant biodiversity loss. Traditional knowledge and practices develop adaptive capacity of the communities to collectively respond to stressful conditions and thus heighten their resilience (Mukhopadhyay \u0026amp; Roy, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2015\u003c/span\u003e). Rooted in generations of lived experience, such knowledge not only foster responsible harvesting but also offers adaptive strategies for climate resilience (Buriro et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR5\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e; Jakes, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2024\u003c/span\u003e). As such, conservation strategies that ignore these embedded systems risk being misaligned with local realities and are unlikely to gain meaningful community support.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHowever, the study also highlights significant threats to these established traditional knowledge systems. The majority of respondents (87.3%) reported changes in cultural beliefs over the past decade, and 88% attributed this shift to modernization and globalization. We observed rapid urbanization and changing lifestyles that are known to erode ethnobotanical knowledge and disruption of traditional conservation practices. Aswani et al. (2018) observed that traditional knowledge persists only when it is intentionally maintained or integrated into hybrid systems, often incentivized by economic opportunities. This finding is crucial in the context of Namutumba, where increased trade in medicinal plants (both formal and informal) is rising amidst broader developmental transitions.\u003c/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe use of medicinal plants in rituals and ceremonies by 86.3% of respondents also points to the multifunctional role of these species, not only as health remedies, but also as cultural and spiritual symbols. This aspect must be prioritized when drawing conservation strategies, in order to balance economic use and cultural preservation. The belief among 88.3% of respondents that certain medicinal plants should not be cultivated due to cultural taboos mirrors findings in South Africa, where 68 plant species were reportedly protected from cultivation due to spiritual or traditional norms (Karunamoorthi \u0026amp; Tsehaye, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR15\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2012\u003c/span\u003e). Such perspectives challenge western-based conservation programs, which may inadvertently undermine cultural norms if implemented without community participation.\u003c/p\u003e\u003c/div\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusions and recommendations","content":"\u003cp\u003eThis study underscores the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect medicinal plant species in Namutumba district, Uganda. Our findings reveal that several highly traded medicinal plants are vulnerable or critically endangered, with over 70% of respondents selling above 1 kg of herbal medicine per week. The study highlights the importance of community-led initiatives, sustainable harvesting practices, and awareness campaigns to ensure the long-term conservation of medicinal plants. Moreover, our results show that cultural beliefs and traditional practices can both positively and negatively impact conservation efforts. Therefore, we recommend species-specific conservation interventions, strict enforcement of regulations, and formal integration of herbal medicine into the national healthcare system. Effective conservation strategies will require collaboration among stakeholders, including herbalists, local communities, and government agencies. Ultimately, our study provides valuable insights for policymakers and conservationists working to protect medicinal plant resources in Uganda. We therefore recommend a multi-stakeholder engagement involving herbalists, herbal medicine traders, local government officials, policy makers and herbal medicine association leaders in coming up with evidence-based and community-led medicinal plant conservation strategies that are climate-adaptive to ensure sustainable utilization and availability for generations to come.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEthics approval and consent to participate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEthical approval of the study was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of Uganda Christian University (UCU) and the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology (UNSCT), under reference number UCUREC-2024-1057 and SS3825ES, respectively. A consultative meeting with various stakeholders was held during a pre-visit in Namutumba District for in-depth discussions of the research study and to seek permission to conduct research in the District. Prior to participation, all the respondents were taken through the informed consent process, and all the ethical guidelines governing research on human participant were followed. The study purpose and objectives were clearly explained and each of the study participant signed the informed consent form before the interviews were conducted ensuring their voluntary participation and awareness. The study participants were informed of their rights to participate, to refuse to participate and to withdraw at any time without giving a reason. Additionally, written consent was obtained from all key informants prior to conducting the key informant interviews.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent for publication\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eInformed consent was obtained from all the study participants for the publication of the anonymized data collected.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompeting interests\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthors\u0026rsquo; contributions\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eASM, JES and PT conceived the research idea, conducted the survey and collected data; ASM, JES, PT and FK analyzed the data; wrote the original draft of the manuscript; SA and AW reviewed and edited the manuscript; ASM, JES, PT, SA, AW and FK made final manuscript review, journal selection and approved submission. \u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis research was funded by the Government of Uganda through the Makerere University Research \u0026amp; Innovations Fund.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eData availability\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe authors confirm that the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the article.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAbera, B. 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Ghana\u0026apos;s herbal market. \u003cem\u003eJournal of Ethnopharmacology, 140\u003c/em\u003e(2), 368-378. \u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Medicinal plants, Conservation, Traditional knowledge, Climate change, Cultural beliefs, Community-based conservation","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7357219/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7357219/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eMedicinal plants play a vital role in traditional healthcare and local economies in Uganda. Despite their importance, their survival is increasingly threatened by climate change, overharvesting, lack of conservation measures and unregulated trade. We investigated how trade, perceptions and cultural beliefs influence the conservation of medicinal plants species. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda, covering 17 sub-counties and targeting 300 respondents (herbalists, primary collectors, and traders) and 10 key informants using a semi structured questionnaire and interview guide. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS, while qualitative data were analyzed thematically to explore respondent perceptions and cultural beliefs regarding medicinal plant conservation. This study revealed that 27 medicinal plant species are highly traded in Namutumba district with over 70% of the respondents selling above 1 Kg of herbal medicine per week, a clear indication of the pressure that trade is exerting on medicinal plants. Notably with great concern, some of these plants (\u003cem\u003eWarburgia ugandensis\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003ePrunus africana\u003c/em\u003e, \u003cem\u003eTamarindus indica\u003c/em\u003e and \u003cem\u003eMondia whitei\u003c/em\u003e) have been cited as being critically endangered or vulnerable to extinction. Some of these plants have become very scarce over the last 5 years. Most respondents expressed positive perception towards the conservation medicinal plants for future generations and acknowledged the role of cultural beliefs in conservation. The study underscores the need for culturally sensitive, community-driven conservation strategies for ensuring conservation and sustainable utilization of medicinal plants in Namutumba district. There is an urgent need to come up with interventions to conserve the threatened and vulnerable medicinal plant species.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Assessing the Conservation Status, Perceptions and Cultural Beliefs Towards Traded Medicinal Plants to Inform Community-Led Conservation Interventions in Namutumba District, Eastern Uganda","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-08-20 15:38:12","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7357219/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"eb38cbbd-e97a-43a9-9822-c91af4649af2","owner":[],"postedDate":"August 20th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-21T13:11:11+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-08-20 15:38:12","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7357219","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7357219","identity":"rs-7357219","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}