title: Useful plants of the semi-arid northeastern region of Brazil--a look at their conservation and sustainable use.
abstract: The use of native plants was examined in three rural communities in the semi-arid of the state of Pernambuco, in northeastern Brazil. The techniques employed in the present study combined a number of different techniques of data-gathering, including semi-structured interviews, guided tour, key-informants, and participating observation, and sampling of the vegetation to evaluate the biodiversity of useful plants. A total of 61 woody species were cataloged, mostly used for construction purposes or fuel. Among the species that stood out for their local importance and multiplicity of uses were: Myracrodruon urundeuva (Engl.) Fr. All., Schinopsis brasiliensis Engl., and Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan. The first two species are included in Brazilian lists of threatened species. Arguments are presented for strategies of management and conservation of plant resources in the semi-arid region that seek alternatives to the use of timber species and the development of alternative non-timber resources.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biologia, Area de Botânica, Laboratório de Etnobotânica Aplicada, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Rua Dom Manozel de Medeiros s/n. Dois Irmãos, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil. upa@ufrpe.br
authors.forename: Reinaldo F P
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Lucena
authors.forename: Ulysses P
authors.initials: UP
authors.lastname: Albuquerque
authors.forename: Júlio M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Cecília De Fátima C B R
authors.initials: Cde F
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Alissandra T N
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Florentino
authors.forename: José Serafim Feitosa
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ferraz
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D001938:Brazil; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000379:methods*; D003889:Desert Climate; D063245:Plant Development; D010944:Plants / Q000145:classification; D014197:Trees / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development*