Estado de conservação das plantas medicinais nativas na agrovila primeiro de Maio, Girau do Ponciano, Alagoas

Abstract

Medicinal plants are essential for healthcare, especially in developing countries. In the case of the Brazilian caatinga, most of the highly important medicinal plants are native and woody species, and they are threatened by overuse, both for medicinal purposes and other uses such as timber extraction. Therefore, this report aims to describe the experience of conducting a participatory workshop in the Primeiro de Maio settlement, placed in the municipality of Girau do Ponciano, Alagoas. The workshop aimed to promote a dialogue between different knowledge systems about native medicinal plants and discuss their conservation status. Around 30 participants, including young people and adults, took part in the workshop. They identified and discussed the five most important native plants in the area and created historical graphs to illustrate changes in their availability over the past fifty years. The five highlighted species were velame-do-campo, angico, juazeiro, imburana-de-cheiro, and aroeira. Except for imburana-de-cheiro, participants reported a decline in the abundance of all other species over time. This decline was mainly attributed to deforestation for agricultural expansion, particularly for crops like maize. The availability of imburana-de-cheiro increased because it predominantly grows in the back areas of properties, escaping the effects of deforestation. Participants emphasized the need for a project to allocate areas for the propagation of species in decline.