Avaliação da Produção de Ouriços e Castanhas na Reserva de Castanheiras do Platô Almeidas na Flona Saracá-Taqüera/lbama, Porto Trombetas, Pará

Abstract

The Brazil nut tree (Berthalletia excelsa H. & B. - Lecythidaceae) is the species with the largest diameter among all others in the Amazon rainforest. Trees with diameters of 5.25 m and 4.34 m at 1.3 m from the ground (DBH) have been recorded, as well as the occurrence in the same place of more than ten Brazil nut trees with diameters greater than 3 m. There is strong evidence that some Brazil nut trees may be millennial and still productive. The objective of this study was to evaluate the production of a primitive Brazil nut tree in terms of nut harvest (hedgehogs), in 2004 and 2005, in the Almedias Plateau Brazilnut Reserve, Saracá-Taqüera Forest/Ibama, Porto Trombetas, Pará State. To estimate the production of hedgehogs and Brazil nuts 84 trees with diameters ranging from 48 in to 226 in (mean of 122 cm) and abundance of 14 exceptionally tall Brazil nut trees/ha were evaluated. In the 2004 chestnut harvest, 60 chestnut trees produced fruit (average of 15.25 hedgehogs/chestnut tree). Each hedgehog averaged 16.4 nuts (average unit weight of 10.54 g). The average production was 251.73 nuts/tree - low harvest. A normal harvest in the region involving 30 collectors produces 800 hectoliters, corresponding to 34,000 kg, which commercialized yields R$68,000.00 (US$22,666.67). Divided by the 30 collectors this results in R$2,267.00 (US$755.67) per worker for the three months of service (February, March and April), or R$756.00 (US$252.00) per month for each worker if the division were equal, which does not happen (of this monthly value the collector receives less than 40%, close to R$300.00 per month -US$100.00). In 2004, in a universe of 60 Brazil nut trees in primary forest, the total production of nuts was 158.2 kg of nuts (very low harvest) that sold at a price of R$2.00 per kg, would yield R$316.4, hence the need to monitor this production for a minimum period of 5 to 6 years. If we confirm this production in the next harvests we can attribute this fact, among others, to forest fragmentation and, consequently, perhaps in the virtual absence of the main pollinating agents of the species, the Hymenoptera of the genus Bamboo.