Contributions of paraecologists and parataxonomists to research, conservation, and social development

Citizen science has been gaining momentum in the United States and Europe, where citizens are literate and often interested in science. However, in developing countries, which have a dire need for environmental data, such programs are slow to emerge, despite the large and untapped human resources in close proximity to areas of high biodiversity and poorly known floras and faunas. Thus, we propose that the parataxonomist and paraecologist approach, which originates from citizen-based science, is well suited to rural areas in developing countries. Being a paraecologist or a parataxonomist is a vocation and entails full-time employment underpinned by extensive training, whereas citizen science involves the temporary engagement of volunteers. Both approaches have their merits depending on the context and objectives of the research. We examined 4 ongoing paraecologist or parataxonomist programs in Costa Rica, India, Papua New Guinea, and southern Africa and compared their origins, long-term objectives, implementation strategies, activities, key challenges, achievements, and implications for resident communities. The programs supported ongoing research on biodiversity assessment, monitoring, and management, and participants engaged in non-academic capacity development in these fields. The programs in Southern Africa related to specific projects, whereas the programs in Costa Rica, India, and Papua New Guinea were designed for the long term, provided sufficient funding was available. The main focus of the paraecologists' and parataxonomists' activities ranged from collection and processing of specimens (Costa Rica and Papua New Guinea) or of socioeconomic and natural science data (India and Southern Africa) to communication between scientists and residents (India and Southern Africa). As members of both the local land user and research communities, paraecologists and parataxonomists can greatly improve the flow of biodiversity information to all users, from local stakeholders to international academia

MULHERES EM REDE: CONECTANDO SABERES SOBRE PLANTAS ALIMENTÍCIAS DO CERRADO E PANTANAL

O objetivo deste trabalho e? discutir a ac?a?o das mulheres na produc?a?o de alimentos a partir de plantas nativas e a importa?ncia da rede que as conectam em Mato Grosso do Sul. Como objetivos especi?ficos, procuramos identificar e analisar: o histo?rico de projetos nesta tema?tica; as demandas que surgiram nas comunidades extrativistas; as estrate?gias de criac?a?o e fortalecimento da rede que conecta as mulheres e seus saberes; os principais desafios para a construc?a?o da rede e a importa?ncia das mulheres em relac?a?o aos temas abordados. Os dados foram obtidos por meio de ana?lise documental, com consulta a relato?rios te?cnico-cienti?ficos (e sites) de projetos de extensa?o e de pesquisa produzidos pela Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso do Sul e ONGs. As pesquisas foram desenvolvidas a partir de observac?a?o participante e mapeamento participativo em comunidades rurais e urbanas. Todos os projetos (pesquisa ou extensa?o) que resultaram nos relato?rios te?cnico-cienti?ficos foram desenvolvidos com a anue?ncia dos representantes das comunidades. Os resultados mostram uma rede conectando as ac?o?es de mulheres da Cie?ncia e de 34 comunidades rurais. Essa rede foi identificada em dez munici?pios do Estado de Mato Grosso do Sul, principalmente na regia?o conhecida como Corredor do Extrativismo (conexa?o Cerrado/Pantanal). As mulheres te?m trabalhado em projetos pioneiros de extrac?a?o e comercializac?a?o de frutos nativos. Apesar das dificuldades, como a sobreposic?a?o ao trabalho dome?stico, essas se estruturam e cooperam a partir das demandas locais. Elas se organizam em associac?o?es, cooperativas, redes ou projetos para tomar deciso?es, dar e receber treinamento e enfrentar o desafio de participar de feiras e outros eventos

Levantamento da família Orchidaceae no Morro Santa Cruz, municípios de Corumbá e Ladário, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil

É apresentado um levantamento das espécies da família Orchidaceae encontradas no Morro Santa Cruz, Municípios de Corumbá e Ladário, Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil. Foram realizadas coletas semanais, de janeiro a outubro de 1999, em diferentes altitudes, nas partes do morro ainda com vegetação preservada. As exsicatas foram incorporadas ao herbário COR, com duplicatas enviadas aos herbários CPAP e SP. Foram coletadas 21 espécies, pertencentes a 19 gêneros, sete terrícolas - Aspidogyne longicornu, Cyrtopodium virescens, Epistephium sclerophyllum, Habenaria juruenensis, Habenaria polycarpa, Oeceoclades maculata e Sarcoglottis curvisepala, uma hemiepífita - Vanilla palmarum, e as demais holoepífitas - Acianthera pubescens, Alatiglossum macropetalum, Campylocentrum hasslerianum, Cattleya nobilior, Encyclia conchaechila, Epidendrum coronatum, Epidendrum densiflorum, Isochilus linearis, Lophiaris morenoi, Octomeria warmingii, Polystachya concreta, Sophronitis cernua, e Xylobium foveatum. São apresentados uma chave para identificação das espécies, descrições, lista de material examinado e comentários pertinentes, bem como ilustrações de dez espécies estudadas

Knowledge and use of wild edible plants in rural communities along Paraguay River, Pantanal, Brazil

Background: Wild plants are used as food for human populations where people still depend on natural resources to survive. This study aimed at identifying wild plants and edible uses known in four rural communities of the Pantanal-Brazil, estimating the use value and understanding how distance to the urban areas, gender, age and number of different environments available in the vicinity can influence the knowledge and use of these plants by local people.Methods: Data on edible plants with known uses by communities were obtained through semi-structured interviews. A form with standardized information was used for all communities in order to obtain comparable data for analysis. For the quantitative analysis of the factors that could influence the number of species known by the population, a generalized linear model (GLM) was conducted using a negative binomial distribution as the data consisted of counts (number of citations).Results: A total of 54 wild species were identified with food uses, included in 44 genera and 30 families of angiosperms. Besides food use, the species are also known as medicine, bait, construction, technology and other. The species with the highest use value was Acrocomia aculeata. Older people, aged more than 60 years, and those living in more remote communities farther from cities know more wild edible plants. Statistical analysis showed no difference regarding gender or number of vegetation types available in the vicinity and the number of plants known by locals.Conclusion: This study indicated more knowledge retained in communities more distant from the urban area, indifference in distribution of knowledge between genders and the higher cultural competence of elderly people in respect to knowledge of wild edible botanicals.Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES