Abstract:
The study was carried out to survey the indigenous potentials of plants in Oowu waterfall Owa-kajola, Kwara
state for sustainable livelihood and development in climate change. There is little or no information on the
ethnobotanical potentials of the area. Therefore, there is need to identify the floral composition and their
medicinal potentials with a view of conserving the indigenous knowledge for sustainable livelihood and
development in climate change using oral interviews and direct counting through guided field walk. Attempts
were made to identify the species present at the centre using descriptive statistics to categorize plants to their
Botanical names, families, growth habit and utilization/uses were also highlighted. Twenty (20) different
plants species were found belonging to sixteen (16) families. Compositae had the highest occurrence
3(18.75%) while Liliaceae, Araceae, Bombacaceae, Palmae, Moraceae, Anacardiaceae, Nephrolepidaceae,
Amarylidaceae, Sapindaceae, Apocynaceae, Rubiaceae, Bromeliaceae, Asteraceae, Mimosaceae and
Euphorbiaceae had the least 1(6.25%). Different habits: herbs, shrubs, trees were exhibited. Tree had the
highest percentage frequency of occurrence (40%) while shrubs and herbs (30%) had the least. Findings
revealed that plants are of great ethnobotanical importance used in curing different ailments. This work will
surely be of great assistance to researchers and tourists if the management of Oowu waterfall tourists' centre
which is richly endowed with flora resources will label the species found in the centre using this work. The
Government and private investors should invest more capital in developing so that it can improve sustainable
livelihood and development in climate change of the area. |
