Conservação socio-ambiental do piquiá (Caryocar villosum (aubl.) pers.) na região dos Lagos Parú e Calado, no município de Manacapuru-AM

Abstract

The piquiá (Caryocar villosum) belongs to the Caryocaraceae family; it is considered a social tree, because it provides fruit, raw material for making objects and income for the people of the rainforest, allowing the study of the establishment of the interrelationship between man and forest. Due to its conservation by farmers, this study investigated the social and environmental conservation practices of piquiá (C. villosum (Aubl.) Pers.) through phytosociological and ethnobotanical knowledge of farmers, testing the occurrence of seed dormancy in piquiá (C. villosum) and are described the means of management practiced by farmers in Manacapuru, in Amazonas. In this study, we adopted a systemic approach, structuring the research as a case study. The experiences that comprise this work are carried out through focus groups, who manage the piquiá, which include farmers and parataxonomists. In the end, data were collected through the following techniques: (1) semistructured interview (2) diary, (3) cultural trail, (4) literature searches, (5) experimental testing to verify the seed dormancy of this species. Data analysis was done qualitatively and quantitatively. Six interviews with farmers and with two parataxonomists were conducted; during this phase the two species were cited (C. villosum and C. glabum) with the name of piquiá. Protection practices of piquiá (C. villosum) by farmers stimulate phenotypic plasticity of the species, yet the selection of specific features was not verified. Currently, the plant occurs with the first seeds to germinate without worrying about the characteristics that individuals will make when they grow up. The long and uneven seed germination due to dormancy and embryonic cutaneous existing piquiá seed, but can be circumvented by partial removal of the integument and the application of inducers plant. Finally, we conclude that both systems work as germplasm banks in situ, so it is important to keep them. The piquiá in the forest system provides individuals in the wild, with wild gene; in agroforestry, the fruit has a better social and economic use and it benefits of protecting human activities, and may acquire certain characteristics. One suggestion is to encourage the maintenance of legal reserve, to enable farmers to become experimenters, wrapping them in protective practices and management and enabling them to maintain the ethnic knowledge. The conservation manifests itself in daily life. Therefore it is important to understand how human communities are related to plant community.