Can you use plugins without bukkit?
You need bukkit or a more recent artifact - as bukkit was somehow closed when Microsoft bought Mojang - it's named Spigot. It's it fully compatible with bukkit plugins as it is developped using Bukkit. I personally use Spigot 1.9 for my server and can run multiple plugins like WorldEdit, Timber, AuthMe ...
What does bukkit plugin do?
What is Bukkit? Bukkit is an API(Application Programming Interface) which provides third party developers with the ability to add their own code to Minecraft through the use of plugins. This has completely changed how Minecraft servers are managed and has exponentially expanded their capabilities.