Produtos florestais não-madeireiros no Município de Santa Bárbara do Pará: uma abordagem etnobotânica

Abstract

Non-wood forest products (NTFPs) are valuable because of their innumerable characteristics, among which are their importance for food and medicine. They are part of the daily life of traditional Amazonian populations, who use them both for their own consumption and for commercialization. This study had the objective of documenting the importance of NTFPs, for the communities of Caíçal and Tamatateua, located in the Municipality of Santa Bárbara do Pará, emphasizing the resources for medicinal use. Data collection included informal interviews, application of structured questionnaires (free-listing technique), field interviews and collection of botanical material. Thirty-two men and women, considered to have the most knowledge about the NTFPs, participated in this study. Sixty-two species were registered, distributed among 37 botanical families. Twenty-six species are medicinal and 41 have other uses, such as: food, ornamental and handicraft. The species with the highest number of citations were: Euterpe oleracea (açaí), Oenocarpus bacaba (bacaba), Tbeobroma grandiflorum (cupuaçu), and Attalca maripa (inají). For medicinal use, Dalbergia monetaria (red veronica), and Himatanibus sucuuba (sucuba) stood out as the most mentioned species. The exploitation of NTFPs is part of the subsistence strategies of the communities studied, but there is little interest in selling them.