Uses of the woody species of the caatinga in Floresta, Pernambuco, Brazil: Indigenous knowledge in the Village Travessão do Ouro

Abstract

Woody species of caatinga, vegetation of a semiarid region of Northeastern Brazil, have been used without knowing the impacts caused to the environment. This study aimed to identify the uses of local vegetation by small farmers of an indigenous population in the municipality of Floresta, Pernambuco. The research was conducted by direct observation, guided visits and semi structured interviews. The woody flora of the region was properly recognized by the interviewees and uses were attributed for 27 species of this woody-shrub of caatinga. The types of uses mentioned for the flora were organized into categories of uses: human food, fodder, domestic construction, farm buildings, technology, energy (fuels), medicinal and other uses of non-timber products. The fodder was related to greater numbers of species cited and numbers of citations, followed by rural buildings, energy and residential construction. The species with the highest number of use categories were Myracrodruon urundeuva, Anadenanthera columbrina and Cnidoscolus quercifolius. Spondias tuberosa was the most cited as fodder, followed by C. quercifolius, Commiphora leptophloeos, Schinopsis brasiliensis and M. urundeuva. It was noted that the use of woody-shrub vegetation as timber and firewood has occurred occasionally, usually using wood that was found dead. From the perspective of users, the woody vegetation of caatinga serves mainly for forage, thus showing the importance of ranching as livelihood and their influence on the knowledge of the uses of vegetation.