Brazilian Journal of Biological Sciences, 2016, v. 3, no. 5, p. 45-62. ISSN 2358-2731 http://dx.doi.org/10.21472/bjbs.030505 Inventory in situ of plant resources used as fuel in the Semiarid Region of Northeast Brazil Gleicy Deise Santos Lima, José Ribamar de Farias Lima, Núbia da Silva, Rodrigo Silva de Oliveira and Reinaldo Farias Paiva Lucena* Universidade Federal da Paraíba. Centro de Ciências Agrárias. Departamento de Fitotecnia e Ciências Ambientais. Laboratório de Etnoecologia. Areia-PB. Brazil (CEP 58397-000). *Email: [email protected]. Abstract. Timber resources are constantly used by traditional communities to meet their everyday needs. Assuming the Received importance and use of these resources for energy purposes, we December 30, 2015 applied the inventory in situ method, over 12 months, aiming to identify the species most used as firewood and charcoal, their Accepted dynamics of renewal, and species availability in the forest fragment April 11, 2016 studied. The study was conducted in the Rural Community of São Released Francisco, Municipality of Cabaceiras (Paraíba State, Northeast June 30, 2016 Brazil). Overall, we recorded 15 species, 14 genera, and 6 botanical families, from which Fabaceae (8 spp) and Anacardiaceae (3 spp) Open Acess Full Text Article were the most prominent, due to having greater diversity of species. The most used native species in the community was Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão (aroeira) and we also recorded the constant use of Prosopis juliflora (algaroba), which is an exotic species. The results evidenced the effective use of natural resources, and may complement in general ethnobotanical studies. Keywords: Caatinga; Ethnobotany; Traditional Populations. ORCID 0000-0003-4326-5693 Gleicy Deise Santos Lima 0000-0001-5705-0672 José Ribamar de Farias Lima 0000-0001-8558-8250 Núbia da Silva 0000-0002-7322-932X Rodrigo Silva de Oliveira 0000-0003-4775-7775 Reinaldo Farias Paiva Lucena Introduction timber resources, mainly for energy purposes, leading to the wrong The Caatinga is marked, characterization of this area as poor in historically, by its seasonality, and pressure endemism, animal and plant diversity on its species, due to the removing of (Severo, 2009). This distorted view has ISSN 2358-2731/BJBS-2015-0156/3/5/5/45 Braz. J. Biol. Sci. http://revista.rebibio.net 46 Lima et al. lbeen modified by studies that show the tool that identifies the resources from the Caatinga as rich in biodiversity (Oliveira et plants currently used (Gaugris and Van al., 2003; Leal et al., 2005). The vegetation Rooyen, 2006), based on the premise that if is known for its use as timber and non- the product is inside a residence, this means timber resource, with great importance for it is effectively used (Lucena et al., 2013). the people who live in the region Studies that employ such a method present (Albuquerque and Andrade, 2002). Thus, different definitions (Kvist et al., 2001; several studies have been performed over Stagegaard et al., 2002; Gavin and the years, in various fields of science, such Anderson, 2005) and several ways of as ethnobiology, which seeks to record and applying it; this lack of standardization can evaluate the empirical knowledge hamper the discussions of recorded concerning natural resources (Ford, 1978; information. Posey and Overal, 1990; Berlin, 1992; Although some researchers do not Balick and Cox, 1996; Diegues and Arruda, emphasize the use of this method, we can 2001). distinguish its application and principles in Within this complex area of ethnobotanical studies of agroforest gardens knowledge, ethnobotany rescues and values (Albuquerque et al., 2005b; Florentino et the traditional knowledge of local al., 2007) and those conducted with specific communities in order to understand the use categories, such as fuel, that require home of plant resources and their management visits and observations (Ramos et al., 2008; day-to-day. Ethnobotany has become a tool Sá et al., 2009). This is because biofuels are that enables the identification of the species the main source of energy in rural areas in most commonly used by people, and developing countries, due to the traditional revealing their great importance to those use of wood, as well as socioeconomic who use them, as well as providing factors. Thus, the collection of firewood important information for the management increases, making deforestation and and conservation of local plant diversity possible local extinctions relevant (Luoga et al., 2000; La Torre-Cuadros and problems. Islebe, 2003; Shanley and Rosa, 2004; This approach was developed in a Albuquerque et al., 2005; Ferraz et al., study conducted in Kenya by Dahdouh- 2005, 2006; Hanazaki et al., 2006; Reyes- Guebas et al. (2006), in which, according to García et al., 2005; Ramos et al., 2008a, the frequency of species in the inventory in 2008b). In this context, studies concerning situ, it was possible to classify the most the use of wood species from Caatinga can important species. However, it is necessary be the basis for understanding the dynamics to provide a detailed description of the use of extraction of these plants (Medeiros et and extraction dynamic of plant resources, al., 2011), providing information that may since their frequency of collection, the contribute to conservation actions, species ecology, and amount of collected investigating social and economic aspects material influence the results, which may of local communities, and ensuring the indicate species that suffer greater perpetuation of knowledge and sustainable extraction (Lucena et al., 2013). use of plant resources (Albuquerque and The results obtained in our study Andrade, 2002b). can corroborate other research already In order to understand these uses, conducted in the Caatinga, providing ethnobotanical inventories are tools relevant information that may assist in the for obtaining knowledge about the development of conservation programs for extraction of plant resources. According to native species, and in the identification of Martins et al. (2006), the inventory is not a species used as fuel, as well as indicate methodology that aims to generate a species that deserve greater attention complete list of species for the studied regarding conservation. areas, but rather provide primordial data Given the above, this study aimed concerning their diversity, so data are to record and monitor the diversity of quickly available. The inventory in situ is a timber plant resources for energy purposes, Braz. J. Biol. Sci., 2016, v. 3, no. 5, p. 45-62. Inventory of plant resources used as fuel in Northeast Brazil 47 which are used by the population of São Comprida”. In Caruatá de Dentro there is a Francisco, municipality of Cabaceiras, in Catholic Church, a room that functions as a the semiarid region of Paraíba, northeast health center, providing care biweekly to Brazil, and to list the species recorded as local communities, and two farmers’ useful for firewood and charcoal, observing associations. the renewal standard of these resources, and Most residences have cisterns for verifying the availability of native species collecting and storing water, given that in the forest fragment studied. drought periods are long. The community is approximately 14 km from downtown Materials and methods Cabaceiras. Most children and young people go to the municipality, to study, on a The regional context bus provided by the town council. The study was conducted in Rural The main activities in the Community of São Francisco, Municipality community are goat and sheep breeding, of Cabaceiras, Paraíba State, Northeast and corn and bean culture. The men of this Brazil (Figure 1). It has an area of 452.920 community are predominantly involved in km² in the Borborema Mesoregion and the non-commercial subsistence farming. Most Cariri Oriental Microregion, at the women work in the home and some provide geographic coordinates of 7º 21’ 32.68” and auxiliary services in local schools. 7º 36’ 04.86” S latitude and 36° 11’ 36.54” The vegetation is predominantly and 3º 26’ 17.48” W longitude. It borders composed of shrubby-arboreal species, the Municipalities of Campina Grande native species such as the juazeiro (Ziziphus (North), Barra de São Miguel and São joazeiro Mart), aroeira (Myracrodruon Domingos do Cariri (South), Boqueirão urundeuva Allemão), and catingueira (East), and São João do Cariri (West). The (Poincianela pyramidalis Tul), among total population is 5,035 inhabitants (2,217 others. There is also a predominance of in the urban area and 2,818 in the rural Cactaceae such as the mandacaru (Cereus area) (IBGE, 2011). jamacaru DC) and coroa-de-frade Rural Community of São Francisco (Melocactus bahiensis (Britton & Rose) is at an average altitude of approximately Luetzelb). 500 m. The climate is hot semiarid Bsh, According to Silva (2012), the according to the Köppen classification, with region is crossed by several rivers and annual average temperatures of around streams, all of them with intermittent 24.5 ºC. The municipality has the lowest character. The Taperoá is the main river, rainfall in Brazil, an average of 250 mm per and receives water from the rivers of Serra year (Alves et al., 2008). The rains are Branca, Gurjão, Soledade, and Riacho do irregular, occurring only during three Farias. All these affluents are part of the months, before the drought begins and lasts Médio Paraíba Basin, the waters of which up to 10 months in drier periods (IBGE, converge with the Epitácio Pessoa 2011). Reservoir, located in the Municipality of Boqueirão. Study area The community borders the Rural Community of São Francisco “Fazenda Pai Mateus”, which is a Private is divided into five locations: Caruatá de Reserve of the Natural Heritage (PRNH), Dentro, Alto Fechado, Jerimum, Rio where the Brazilian Institute of Direito, and Malhada Comprida. In Environment and Renewable Natural Malhada Comprida there is a soccer field Resources (IBAMA) performs the release and an elementary school, named “Escola of wild animals captured in nearby towns.