Uso de produtos madeireiros para fins domésticos em uma área de Floresta Atlântica no nordeste brasileiro

Abstract

Wood is the main product obtained from woody plants and it is also that whose extraction is more harmful to plant populations. The exploration of this product for domestic purposes plays an important role mainly in developing countries. But despite its importance there are still few ethnobotanical works which specifically approach wood uses. Therein this study seeks to verify if there are variables which explain the use of wood products in the community of Três Ladeiras (NE Brazil). We sought to indicate who the main resource users are, and also to record the use categories which demand higher amounts of wood, to verify the more demanding species and to record the wood resource collection and consumption patterns. Socioeconomic data was registered for 62 households intentionally chosen by a quota sampling. Geometric measures were taken for all wood products in the households in order to get to the wood volume. One informant in each household indicated the average turn-over time for each wood use. The volume data was analyzed statically (wood volume found in the moment of the visit) and dynamically (annual rate of wood consumption, obtained by the divisionbetween volume and turn-over time). Multiple regressions were performed between wood volume (static and dynamic), total species number and the independent variables: monthly family income, number of dwellers, average age of the family chiefs, age of the oldest dweller, average instruction degree of the family chiefs, instruction degree of the most instructed, and average residence time of the family chiefs. Income was the main variable considered to explain static (adjusted R² = 17.6%; p<0.001) and dynamic (adjusted R² = 23.0%; p<0.001) wood consumption and these relations are inverse. Fuelwood category was responsible for 92.2% of the annual wood consumption, being the most important in the place. But considering that the construction category presents more destructive collection patterns and it concentrates consumption in few species, it is recommended that, besides the species used for fuelwood, those with a higher importance for construction, which are Eschweilera ovata (Cambess.) Miers (Imbiriba), Apuleia leiocarpa (Vogel) J.F. Macbr. (Jitai) and Pogonophora schomburgkiana Miersex Benth (Cocão), also are priorities for conservation.