Conservation potential of shade-tolerant forest species in agricultural mosaics in the eastern Brazilian Amazon

Shade-tolerant forest species are among the most susceptible to habitat loss in agricultural mosaics, where a variety of croplands is connected to forests at different levels of anthropogenic disturbance. We aimed to evaluate the community similarity of shade-tolerant species among different land use types across agricultural mosaics with different levels of disturbance. The study was conducted in three municipalities in southern and southeastern Pará state, in eastern Amazonia. A multiple-community similarity measure based on the Horn similarity index was used to compare land use types and assess the resilience of shade-tolerant species towards forest loss and disturbance at the landscape level. High shade-tolerant species similarity was found between mature forest fragments that underwent different levels of disturbance in all three agricultural mosaics, but secondary forests had lower similarity with mature forest in the most fragmented and altered mosaic. Shade-tolerant species showed very low density in croplands, but the same group of species seemed to colonize agricultural fields of annual crops and clean pasture, as they showed high community similarity. Another group of species was present in invaded pastures, probably due to the effects of time since land abandonment after woody species colonization. Mixed tree plantations were more similar to mature and secondary forests than other types of croplands. Shade-tolerant species similarity was higher among land use types inserted in agricultural landscapes that maintained conserved forest fragments. Our results suggest that the conservation of mature forests and landscape connectivity are crucial to the maintenance of shade-tolerant species in agricultural mosaics. (AU)

Uso dos recursos vegetais por agricultores familiares de Manacapuru (AM) / Use of vegetal resources by Family Farmers in Manacapuru, Amazonas state

Neste estudo é relatado o uso de espécies vegetais por onze famílias que vivem na área rural do município de Manacapuru, no Amazonas. Foi feita uma abordagem participativa durante as entrevistas, utilizando um formulário formal, que considerava toda a propriedade agrícola. No total, foram registradas 173 espécies, cuja maioria (101) apresentou uso medicinal. Sessenta e oito espécies são usadas na alimentação humana e vinte e duas espécies são utilizadas para construção de casas. Noventa e sete espécies (56,1%) provêm somente dos pomares caseiros, 22 espécies (12,7%) existem unicamente na floresta primária e 18 espécies (10,4%) são provenientes das capoeiras. Algumas espécies são encontradas em diferentes ambientes. De fato, a vegetação da região é capaz de prover diferentes recursos para os agricultores, os quais procuram alternativas que possam melhorar sua qualidade de vida. O plantio de espécies frutíferas é bastante comum e representa uma diversificação e melhoria na qualidade alimentar. Porém, há necessidade de incentivo para o plantio de espécies florestais nativas. O aprendizado sobre as plantas medicinais é passado de geração a geração, sempre pelas mulheres.

This study deals with the use of vegetal species by small farmers in the municipal district of Manacapuru, in the State of Amazonas. We used a formal questionnaire for participative interviews which took into consideration the entire agricultural property. Of the one hundred and seventy three species that we registered, the majority (101) presented medicinal use. Sixty-eight species are used for human nutrition and twenty-two for house building. Ninety-seven species (56.1%) come exclusively from domestic orchards; twenty-two (12.7%) exist only in the primary forest; and eighteen species (10.4%) originate from fallows. Some species can be found in different environments. Although the vegetation of the region under study is capable of providing farmers with necessary resources, their look for alternatives that might improve the quality of their lives. Planting fruit species is quite common and means both diversification and better food quality. It is however necessary to encourage planting native forest species. Knowledge and use of medicinal plants is always passed on from generation to generation by women.