Knowledge and use of palm tree (Arecaceae) biodiversity in the sertÃo of the state of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil / Conhecimento e uso da biodiversidade de palmeiras (Arecaceae) no Estado de Pernambuco, nordeste do Brasil

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2007

RESUMO

Palm trees are one of the most important resources for tropical populations and one of the main suppliers of substances used in food, fuel, folk art, and medicine. Northeast Brazilâs palm tree flora encompasses 80 native species, with a low level of endemism (27.5%); however, little is known about how these resources are used by northeastern communities. Despite the ease with which industrialized products can be acquired today, palm trees still have great importance in the rural zone of the nine states that comprise the region. Destructive alterations of their natural habitat â in addition to disordered exploration â have threatened some species. This study investigated the importance of the ouricuri (Syagrus coronata (Mart.) Becc.) and the babaÃu (Orbignya phalerata Mart.) in a community established next to the Catimbau Valley National Park (in the BuÃque municipality, caatinga zone of the state of Pernambuco), from an ethnobotanical standpoint. The importance given to these species by the local people was analyzed under several aspects related to their productsâ uses. Data was obtained from semistructured interviews (60 informants), and indexes based on informant consensus techniques were used to quantify the importance and consensus on the use and knowledge among the informants. The following use categories were cited, for both species: human food, farm animal food, wild animal food, construction, fuel, folk art, and medicine. Despite the use diversity (Sc= 33, Oph=25), the two speciesâ importance is related predominantly to fruit usage (the almond), as shown by the value indexes for plant part used, Sc=0.48 and Oph=0.56. Oil and milk are extracted from the fruit, in addition to flour for domestic animal feed. Regardless of the similarities found in relation to the categories and their respective uses, the speciesâ diversity values made clear that the ouricuri has a larger contribution (8.58) to the total use than the babaÃu (6.31). Indications of a knowledge erosion process were observed, and the informants pointed out that several uses were no longer practiced in the community â especially those linked to folk art (many informants have only heard of these uses). The conclusion is that the ouricuri and the babaÃu are used for several purposes and must be considered as important species in the rural community studied; their value is based mainly in the fruitâs food usage and in the almond, 48 uses that are extensively known and are still employed among the informants. Considering that these two speciesâ importance is centered primarily on the use of their fruit, pressure due to exploration must be controlled to allow the development of new individuals, preventing the aging of local populations

ASSUNTO(S)

biologia geral biodiversidade de palmeiras (arecaceae) biodiversidade de palmeiras / pe

ACESSO AO ARTIGO

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