Evaluation of Ethnobotanical Knowledge Systems and Conservation Priorities in Arid Zone Communities of Borno State

Traditional botanical knowledge in Borno State's arid zone communities is eroding rapidly due to conflict, displacement, and generational shifts, creating an urgent professional imperative for systematic evaluation and conservation prioritisation. This study evaluated the depth, transmission pathways, and conservation priorities of ethnobotanical knowledge among five communities in Borno State: Maiduguri, Konduga, Magumeri, Damboa, and Bama Local Government Areas. A professional evaluation methodology combining semi-structured interviews with 85 key knowledge holders, focus group discussions, and field botanical surveys was applied. Ethnobotanical knowledge richness indices, intergeneration knowledge transmission scores, and a species-level conservation priority score incorporating local importance value and threat status were calculated. A total of 124 plant species were documented in ethnobotanical use, with food and fodder uses most prevalent. Knowledge transmission scores indicated that only 31% of youth informants could identify and describe use of more than 50% of plants cited by elder informants, indicating significant knowledge erosion across one generation. Conservation priority scores were highest for Boscia senegalensis, Balanites aegyptiaca, and Maerua crassifolia, combining high importance value with threatened population status. Conflict-induced displacement had disrupted knowledge transfer pathways in three of five communities. The study concludes that ethnobotanical knowledge erosion in Borno State is accelerating and requires immediate community-centred documentation and revitalisation programmes. Integration with state-level ecosystem restoration initiatives is recommended.

Keywords: ethnobotanical knowledge, conservation priorities, arid zone, Borno State, knowledge erosion