Ethnoveterinary medicinal plants in Aseko District, Arsi Zone, southeastern Ethiopia.

Ethiopia is widely recognized for its exceptional biological and cultural diversity, with rich flora and long-standing traditions of plant based healthcare. Indigenous knowledge systems developed over generations have enabled rural communities to manage both human and livestock health using locally available medicinal plants, particularly in areas where access to modern veterinary services remains limited. Livestock production plays a central role in Ethiopia’s mixed farming and pastoral systems, contributing substantially to food security, household income, draught power, and sociocultural identity. Despite extensive ethnobotanical and ethnoveterinary documentation across Ethiopia, important geographical gaps remain. Many studies emphasize species inventories without systematically evaluating cultural importance, informant consensus, or perceived efficacy. At the same time, traditional medicinal plant resources and associated knowledge systems are increasingly under pressure from agricultural expansion, deforestation, infrastructure development, and population growth. Sociocultural change, formal education, and declining reliance on traditional practices have weakened intergenerational transmission of ethnoveterinary knowledge, particularly among younger community members. Aseko District in Arsi Zone represents one such gap. The district spans three agroecological zones (highland, midland, lowland) and supports high biodiversity but faces above average ecological pressure from agricultural expansion, fuelwood extraction, and limited veterinary infrastructure. These local threats make Aseko a critical site for documenting ethnoveterinary practices and assessing their sustainability. Importantly, this study introduces a bilingual disease classification system (English/Afaan Oromoo) to reduce diagnostic ambiguity and strengthen alignment between indigenous knowledge and veterinary science—a methodological advance over previous Ethiopian studies that relied solely on vernacular or clinical terminology.