Th is study aimed to identify, analyze and compare diff erent uses of fi rewood for home consumption and for handicraft work in rural communities in Altinho, Pernambuco, Brazil. Semi-structured and free-listing interviews were performed to catalog the plants that were better known by locals and that were mostly used as fi rewood for home consumption and handicraft work. Two in situ inventories were performed at the homes of the study location in order document the plants that were actually used. A total of 39 species of woody plants belonging to 16 botanical families were registered. Th e most widely-known species for both uses were also the species that were most used and preferably-used-as-wood by the population. Th e plants most preferably-used-as-wood by the participants, which were selected as samples, were also those that the participants identifi ed as having superior quality. Th us, there is a small group of plants that is used for both activities, and thus more vulnerable to extractivism, and which ought to be conserved. Alternative management strategies are needed that secure the availability of these species in the future to meet the needs of the local population and to conserve biodiversity.
Troncos de árvores são ambientes propícios para o crescimento de epífitos, como liquens e briófitas. Na região semiárida do Nordeste do Brasil estes organismos podem ser encontrados nos troncos de Myracrodruon urundeuva (aroeira-do-sertão) e Sideroxylon obtusifolium (quixaba), cujas cascas são utilizadas na medicina tradicional. Este trabalho avaliou a incidência e a área ocupada por liquens em fragmentos das cascas destas duas espécies comercializadas nos mercados públicos da cidade do Recife, Pernambuco. Amostras das cascas, adquiridas em 23 erveiros estabelecidos em 12 mercados, foram fotografadas e a área ocupada por liquens foi mensurada com auxílio do programa Image-Pro Plus. Constatou-se elevada incidência de liquens em 64% das 853 amostras das cascas da aroeira-do-sertão e em 41,6% das 978 amostras das cascas da quixaba. A área média ocupada pelos liquens corresponde a 41,6% nas cascas da aroeira-do-sertão e 14,1% nas da quixaba, com destaque para espécies de Dirinaria, Lecanora e Pertusaria. A alta incidência e diversidade de liquens nas cascas indicam a possibilidade de substâncias liquênicas serem ingeridas pelos usuários de chás medicinais.
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