Estrutura da vegetação em áreas de coleta de espécies alimentícias silvestres na região da foz do rio São Francisco

Abstract

Considering the enormous diversity of plants existing on the planet, edible wild plants (EWPs) encompass species that typically develop without cultural treatments and occur spontaneously in various environments, from natural forest ecosystems and areas managed by farmers to disturbed or completely altered areas by human activity. The commercial extraction of non- timber forest products (NTFPs) presents the potential to reconcile income generation, food security, and biodiversity conservation. However, before associating this activity with an idea of sustainability, it is necessary to evaluate the forest structure of the environments where these plants are collected. It is worth noting that, when it comes to products obtained from native tree species of edible wild plants, evaluating the structure of these environments is especially necessary due to the tendency for increased commercial demand to exert greater extractive pressure on their natural populations. Given the importance of studies on forest structure, the present work aims to evaluate the structure of populations of native tree species of edible wild plants (EWPs) with the highest commercial potential in their collection environment. For data analysis, a phytosociological study was conducted in one of the forest areas where native tree EWPs are collected to assess the structure of their populations. A total of 197 individuals were surveyed, belonging to 32 species, of which 21 were recognized by their common names, nine were identified at the species level, and one at the genus level, belonging to eight families. Among the 10 species with the highest Importance Value Index (IVI), the following EWPs stood out: Cambuí (Myrciaria floribunda (H. West ex Willd) O. Berg), Cocô Piaçaba (Attalea funifera Mart), Ingá (Inga laurina (S. W) Willd.), Maçaranduba (Manilkara salzmannii (A.DC.) H.J.Lam), and Murici (Byrsonima gardneriana A.Juss.). These results suggest the potential for sustainable use of these species, as well as assisting in the development of strategies to promote and strengthen these chains on sustainable bases, integrating income generation, food security, and forest resource conservation.