Utilização de recursos lenhosos como fonte de combustível no beneficiamento de um produto florestal não madeireiro (Caryocar coriaceum Wittm.) no Nordeste do Brasil

Abstract

The overexploitation of non timber forest products (NTFP) in association with market demand could generate negative effects over plant species populations, biological communities and even ecosystems. However, nothing is known about which are the possible impacts that NTFP extraction and utilization, specially from those which have great economic representativeness, could bring on these activities-associated wood resources. Thus, this study aimed to understand the dynamics of fuelwood species consumption in association with pequi (Caryocar coriaceum Wittm.) oil production activity in the Floresta Nacional do Araripe (FLONA), Ceará, Brazil. During January and February 2012, semi structured interviews were performed with 39 pequi oil producers from Cacimbas community who were staying in settlements near to FLONA. The collected volume per species of fuelwood and the total volume of fuelwood used to produce oil in one month of pequi harvest were accounted. A forest inventory was also performed in order to verify the woody species abundance and, lately, the Fuelwood Value Index (FVI) of all plants listed on ethnobotanical research was analyzed. 28 woody plants species belonging to 10 families were registered. There was a significant correlation between knowledge and use. Though preference was significantly correlated to knowledge, use and to the volume of collected plants, it showed a significant correlation neither with FVI nor with woody species abundance in the environment. The most collected species were Dimorphandra gardneriana (3,53 m3), Byrsonima spp. (1,26 m3), Qualea parviflora (1,03 m3) and Bowdichia virgilioides (0,95 m3) which are also considered preferred species and represent the group of plants that are more susceptible to use pressure. Collection is mainly based in dry wood and in branches and trunks using. It is estimated that those 39 observed families use 67,92 m3 of fuelwood during one month of harvest and this volume can reach 203,76 m3 at the end of a three months harvest. There is a group of preferred plants that are more vulnerable and both the community and the local police have to be aware about this plants. It is necessary to create management alternatives in order to guarantee future resource availability to human populations and the performance of species functions inside the ecosystem.