Ethnobotanical and ethnoecological study of Butia catarinensis Noblick & Lorenzi: contributions to the conservation of an endangered area in southern Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Kumagai,Leonardo
• Data de Publicação: 2013
• Outros Autores: Hanazaki,Natalia
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Acta Botanica Brasilica
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-33062013000100002
• topic: Arecaceae; Atlantic Rainforest; ethnobotany; population ecology; coastal sand dune vegetation

Butia catarinensis Noblick & Lorenzi is a small palm (approximately 2 m high when full-grown) endemic to the southern coast of Brazil. Local farmers use the fruit and pulp for various purposes, and this extractive activity complements their income. The objective of this study was to understand the relationships between local people and B. catarinensis in its natural environment. Ethnobotanical and ethnoecological data were collected through participant observation, participatory research tools and semi-structured interviews. The density of B. catarinensis was measured in two areas, each containing twelve 10 m × 20 m plots. Interviewees recognized different varieties of the palm, its phenological stages, as well as potential pollinators and seed dispersers. Eighteen different uses for the palm were registered and three different collection practices were observed, depending on the purpose for which the fruit was used. The mean density in the two areas studied ranged from 38.6 to 7.9 adults per plot. The rate of production (per hectare) can be as high as 927 kg of fruit and 190 kg of pulp. The local community can contribute to the conservation of this coastal ecosystem through extractive activities of some scale, with potential environmental, economic and socio-cultural sustainability.