Aspectos etnobotânicos e sócio-econômicos de arecaceae no município de Abaetetuba, Pará

Abstract

Arecaceae (Palmae) has a wide geographic distribution, with greater occurrence in the tropics. It is one of the oldest plant groups and is used mainly by indigenous and caboclo communities, who find in palms one of the main suppliers of raw material for food, clothing, construction, medicine and handicrafts. Although palms have always been of interest for their elegant size and use, currently this interest is directed towards the areas of biotechnology and chemistry of natural products. The present work is a contribution to the knowledge and use of palm species in the municipality of Abaetetuba. It includes the collection of ethnobotanical and socioeconomic data obtained through open interviews with community members. The botanical material was collected, identified and is being incorporated into the collection of the Herbarium MG/MPEG. The species recorded were: açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.), bacaba (Oenocarpus bacaba Mart.), buriti (Mauritiaflexuosa L.), bussu (Manicaria saccifera Gaertn. ), coconut (Cocus nucifera L.), jupati (Raphia taedigera (Mart.) Mart.), paxiúba (Socratea exorrhiza (Mart.) Wend.), pupunha (Bactris gasipaes Kunth.), tucumã (Astrocaryum tucuma Mart.). The species that stood out the most were Euterpe oleracea and Mauritia flexuosa for being widely used in food and handicraft respectively. The palm flora of Abaetetuba is not the most diverse in the Amazon; however, its species are widely used by local populations that manage and conserve these species, especially in floodplain forests, where they are found forming almost monospecific clusters such as açaizais and buritizais.