Florestas maduras da região metropolitana de São Paulo: diversidade, composição arbórea e variação florística ao longo de um gradiente litoral-interior, Estado de São Paulo, Brasil

RESUMO Os objetivos desse trabalho foram amostrar e caracterizar o componente arbóreo de florestas maduras da região metropolitana de São Paulo, SP, Brasil, verificar a existência de variações florísticas ao longo dos planaltos da região no sentido litoral-interior e quais fatores ambientais que poderiam influenciá‑la. Além disso, são realizadas considerações sobre a classificação e conservação dessas florestas. Foram amostradas três florestas maduras da região metropolitana, situadas nos municípios de São Paulo (Marsilac), Cotia (Reserva Florestal do Morro Grande) e Itapevi. Em cada localidade foram instaladas duas parcelas de 20 × 50 m com amostragem dos indivíduos com perímetro a 1,30 m de altura do solo PAP ≥ 15 cm. Posteriormente, foram realizadas análises de agrupamento (UPGMA) e ordenação (DCA) com dados de densidade das espécies. O levantamento resultou na amostragem de 943 indivíduos arbóreos pertencentes a 50 famílias, 109 gêneros e 184 espécies; índice de Shannon 4,62, equabilidade de Pielou 0,88, área basal de 46,1 m2 ha-1 e densidade de 1.572 ind ha-1. As análises de agrupamento e ordenação indicaram haver maior similaridade entre Marsilac e Morro Grande, com tendência à formação de um bloco florístico mais homogêneo, enquanto que Itapevi se isolou das demais. Essa variação foi atribuída à existência de um período seco mais acentuado no inverno na região de Itapevi, fator que possibilita a presença de algumas espécies comumente associadas a florestas estacionais semidecíduas. Ainda assim, foi verificado que as florestas da região metropolitana são compostas por uma flora predominantemente ombrófila, com maior ou menor presença de elementos de florestas estacionais semidecíduas, mistas ou frias/úmidas. A alta diversidade das florestas maduras, aliada à presença de uma grande quantidade de espécies raras e ameaçadas, além da escassez desses remanescentes, são razões para proteção e conservação imediata dessas florestas

Participatory methods on the recording of traditional knowledge about medicinal plants in Atlantic forest, Ubatuba, São Paulo, Brazil.

INTRODUCTION:Ethnobotanical studies that include participatory methods aim to engage residents in different steps to promote the strengthening and perpetuation of local culture, and empowerment in making decisions about the use of available environmental resources. Thus, the aim of this project was to perform an ethnobotanical survey based on traditional knowledge of medicinal plants with the active participation of residents living in Bairro do Cambury, Ubatuba, São Paulo State, Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS:During meetings held between the researchers and community members, locally used plants were regarded as an important means for preserving local knowledge for future generations. Some residents showed interest in participating as local partners, and training courses for collecting ethnobotanical data were offered. Local partners and researchers from São Paulo Federal University (Universidade Federal de São Paulo) utilized ethnobotanical methods to select and interview the specialists in medicinal plants for 80 days between 2016 and 2018. Data on plant use were recorded, and plants were collected and deposited in two herbaria. Furthermore, participant observation and fieldwork diaries were used by the researchers, aiding the data analysis. RESULTS:Three local partners participated in objective definitions, data collection, analysis and publication. Nine local specialists were interviewed by the local partners and indicated the use of 82 plant species in 90 recipes for 55 therapeutic uses. These uses were grouped into 12 categories. In addition, a video and booklet were created. CONCLUSIONS:Data obtained during participatory research show that training local communities in the registration of their own knowledge is feasible and necessary since they register knowledge based on local perceptions, as well as valuing knowledge and approaching the current discussion about intellectual property is a global concern

Participatory ethnobotany and conservation : a methodological case study conducted with quilombola communities in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest

Although multiple studies advocate the advantages of participatory research approaches for ethnoscience, few provide solid contributions from case studies that involve residents in all of the project phases. We present a case study of a participatory approach whose aim is to register ethnobotanical knowledge on the use of plants in two quilombola communities (maroon communities), an important biodiversity hotspot in the Atlantic Forest, Southeast Brazil. Our aim is to provide tools that will empower decision-making related to sustainable use and management among residents. In phase I, the objectives and activities were defined in meetings with residents to carry out ethnobotanical surveys between two quilombola communities—the Quilombo da Fazenda (QF) and Quilombo do Cambury (QC). In phase II, we offered community partners training courses on how to collect plants and ethnobotanical data. In coordination with the university team and using ethnobotanical methods, community partners interviewed specialists on plants and their uses. In phase III, using the participatory mapping method, residents indicated plot locations and collected plants to calculate the Conservation Priority Index for native species recorded in phase II. In 178 days of fieldwork, two community partners from the QF and three from the QC selected 8 and 11 respondents who reported 175 and 195 plant species, respectively, corresponding to 9 ethnobotanical categories. Based on requests from the local community, booklets and videos with these data were collaboratively produced. A large percentage of species were found to be of great conservation priority—82.1% in the QC and 62.5% in the QF. Virola bicuhyba, Cedrela fissilis, Plinia edulis, and Tabebuia cassinoides are the species most at risk and will be the focus of phase IV, when a participatory management plan will be carried out. Additionally, we present both challenges and opportunities with the hope that others can learn from our successes and failures. Our experience shows that it is possible to train community members who wish to document their knowledge to support the process of ensuring that local knowledge is highly regarded, further ensuring its perpetuation. In this context, the project may be of great interest to development programs in promoting community-based management strategies for useful plants161CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP400802/2016-32015/ 12046-0The authors would like to thank the interviewed and other inhabitants of the Quilombo da Fazenda and Quilombo do Cambury for their contributions to this work. We thank the support given by FAPESP - BIOTA PROGRAM (process number 2015/ 12046-0) and CNPq - Universal 2016 (process number 400802/2016-3) for making fieldwork possible. We also thank anonymous referees for their helpful suggestions in improving this paper and Dra. Dorothy S. D. de Araujo, for the English revie