Conhecimento e manejo tradicional de Caryocar coriaceum Wittm. (Pequi) na Chapada do Araripe, Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

Using and management of plant species by humans may lead to changes in the genetic structure of plant populations that can be settled by the manipulation of morphological variations of these populations through artificial selection, culminating in the evolutionary process called domestication. This process occurs naturally, since it reflects man's relationship with the species which he uses to meet their vital needs, such as food and income obtaining. Plants grown under different management regimes over time may show morphological variations between and within populations, and become even recognized by people as varieties. The present study aimed to study the traditional knowledge and the influence of local practices of using, collection and management on populations of Caryocar coriaceum Wittm. (pequi) in Chapada do Araripe, northeastern Brazil. The study was designed to answer the following questions: a) Are there phenotypic differences between populations of C. coriaceum under different regimes of local management of the landscape? b) If such differences exist, would they be associated with local preferences of the collectors? In this sense, an ethnobotanical study in the community Cacimbas (S 07 º 29 '36.9 " W 39 ° 22 '02.6 "), in the municipality of Jardim, state of Ceará, was carried out. Forty pequi collectors were interviewed with questions focused on pequi (C. coriaceum). Also, a study on the influence of management practices on populations of C. coriaceum in three collection locations (Porteiras, Baixa do Cão e Murici, which are in cerrado biome) was carried out. At each location, 12 individuals from pequizeiro were selected, from which 20 fruits were collected for morphometric analysis. It was found that the collectors‟ knowledge about pequi are well distributed among them. There were no significant differences between genders and age groups (defined < 40 and ≥ 40 years). The fruit was the most indicated part, with 100% of the citations, and the food category was the most prominent. The main form of management was fruit collection. The most frequently used collection areas were of native vegetation. The obtained averages were fruit length (5.42 ± 0.35), fruit weight (75.36 ± 9.97), shell thickness (0.92 ± 0.04), seed length (3.21 ± 0.23), seed diameter (2.67 ± 0.18), dry seed weight (7.97 ± 2.54), fruit with pulp, "putamen" (20.89 ± 6.12) and pulp thickness (0.27 ± 0.03). It can be stated that pequi (C. coriaceum) is a potential source of livelihood and income generation for human populations at Cacimbas community, in the region of Chapada do Araripe.