Etnobotânica e medicina popular no tratamento de malária e males associados na comunidade ribeirinha Julião – baixo Rio Negro (Amazônia Central)

The use of medicinal plants in order to treat tropical diseases such as malaria is of extreme importance, particularly in places where the public health system is not present as in most coastal communities of the Amazonia region. That being stated, investigating and rediscovering the popular knowledge of medicinal plants used to treat malaria and its associated diseases by the residents of the Julião community, located in RDS Tupé, Manaus-AM, becomes relevant in recording how local populations prevent and treat this disease so prevalent and dangerous in this region. In order to carry out this study, it was implemented an ethnobotanical survey through workshops organized in categories and semi-structured interviews as well as guided tours by residents of the community in their backyards and nearby forest areas. The Shannon- Wiener diversity indicators were calculated, measuring equitability and concurrence regarding its main use (CUP). From the effective collaboration of 13 community members, 62 plant species belonging to 53 types and 34 botanic families were observed,which resulted in a diversity index (H ‘) and equitability of 1.62 decits 0.9. The most significant botanical families shown in the survey were: Fabaceae (7 species), Asteraceae (4 species), Lamiaceae (4 species), Solanaceae (3 species) and Rubiaceae (3 species). It is worth to highlight that 16 species (25.8%) were mentioned for malaria treatment and associated diseases, for the first time in ethnobotanical studies conducted in Latin America. © 2015, Instituto de Biociencias. All rights reserved

Lecythidaceae Poit. in the Tupé sustainable development reserve, Manaus, Brazil

Lecythidaceae is the family of the Brazil nut, and comprises about 300 species belonging to 17 genera with pantropical distributions. One hundred and twenty-two species belonging to nine genera are distributed throughout Brazil, demonstrating its greatest diversity in the Amazon rainforest where Lecythidaceae is also one of the most abundant families. It is usually difficult to collect fertile material from these trees because of their canopy heights, and species determinations using sterile material can be complex because of their morphological similarities. There have been relatively few studies of this family even though it is one of the most important groups in the Amazon region, and a detailed taxonomic treatment of the species of Lecythidaceae in the Tupé Sustainable Development Reserve was therefore the goal of the present work. Ten species were found, Allantoma lineata (Mart. ex O.Berg) Miers, Bertholletia excelsa Bonpl., Couratari tenuicarpa A.C.Sm., Lecythis poiteaui O.Berg; and six species of Eschweilera, the richest genus. The descriptions and identification keys of the species used 56 characters. The main reproductive characters useful for distinguishing the species were the pubescence of the inflorescence rachis, pedicel length and trichomes presence, floral symmetry, hood type, filament shape, stigma shape, fruit shape and size, and aril type. The most diagnostic vegetative characters were the type and color of the outer bark, inner bark color, midrib prominence, and petiole shape and pubescence

Uso e conhecimento tradicional de Byrsonima crassifolia e B. coccolobifolia (Malpighiaceae) em uma Comunidade Makuxi na Savana de Roraima, extremo norte do Brasil

Byrsonima crassifolia and B. coccolobifolia, popularly known as mirixis, muricis, mantecos or nances, are common fruit species in the Amazonian savannas. Their fruits are used in the preparation of juices and other beverages, while the other parts of the plants are used for different purposes in some indigenous communities. The aim of the present ethnobotanical study was to investigate the knowledge and traditional uses of mirixis in the Darora Indigenous Community, of the Makuxi ethnicity, in the São Marcos Indigenous Land, state of Roraima, northern Brazil. The knowledge on these species among the residents was analyzed considering their gender and age. A survey was carried out by means of semi-structured interviews with 60 respondents (36 men and 24 women), between 18 and 84 years of age. Data from the interviewees was compared between genders and two age groups ( 0.05) and age groups (U = 359.5000, p > 0.05), indicating that the knowledge on the species is evenly distributed among residents. Results show that both species are used for different purposes in the food, fuelwood and medicinal categories in the Darora Community, and this knowledge is widely shared among adult men and women of all ages.Byrsonima crassifolia e B. coccolobifolia, popularmente conhecidas como mirixis, muricis, mantecos ou nances, são espécies de frutíferas comuns que ocorrem nas savanas amazônicas. Os seus frutos são utilizados na preparação de sucos e outras bebidas, enquanto outras partes das plantas são utilizadas para diferentes fins em algumas comunidades indígenas. O objetivo do presente estudo etnobotânico foi investigar o conhecimento e usos tradicionais dos mirixis na Comunidade Indígena Darora, da etnia Makuxi, na Terra Indígena São Marcos, no estado de Roraima. Este trabalho analisou o conhecimento dessas espécies entre os moradores da comunidade. A pesquisa foi realizada por meio de entrevistas semi-estruturadas com 60 participantes (36 homens e 24 mulheres), entre 18 e 84 anos de idade. Os dados das entrevistas foram comparados entre gêneros e dois grupos de idade ( 0,05) e grupos de idade (U = 359,5000, p > 0,05), indicando que o conhecimento das espécies é uniformemente distribuído entre os moradores. Os resultados mostraram que ambas as espécies são usadas com finalidades nas categorias alimentícia, combustível e medicinal na Comunidade Darora, e o conhecimento é amplamente compartilhado entre homens e mulheres, independentemente da faixa etária

TRADITIONAL BOTANICAL KNOWLEDGE VARIATION BETWEEN GENDER AND AGE IN A MAKUXI COMMUNITY IN RORAIMA SAVANNA, NORTHERN BRAZILIAN AMAZONIA

The studies over the local knowledge patterns between man and woman aim to understand specific characteristics of communities in order to develop better strategies for natural resources conservation. The objective of this study was to recognize the useful species and their forms of use in order to evaluate traditional Makuxi knowledge of genders and age in the Darora community, in São Marcos indigenous land, Roraima State, Northern Brazil. The botanical knowledge was analyzed, considering species richness, number of citations and plant uses between gender and age groups. The research was carried out using semi-structured interviews with 60 participants (36 men and 24 women), ranging from 18 to 84 years of age.  The interview data were compared between genders and three age groups ( 60 years of age). A total of 69 species and 2.100 citations were recorded (men, 69 species in 1.446 citations; women, 52 species in 654 citations). For the age groups, 53 species were mentioned by the category 60 years. This difference was also observed in the species uses and in its parts, being timber uses the most significant purposes among men, and medicinal and food among women. The study provided an analysis of the profile of the Darora community, i.e., they are explorers of the natural resources, mainly oriented towards construction, due to the relatively recent occupation of the area (ca. 75 years ago), which evidences that they are at the establishment stage, as well as the need for medicine, probably related to the lack of health care, to the cost of industrial drugs, and also due to the belief on traditional medicine effectiveness. Results show that respondents over 40 years of age have more botanical knowledge than the younger ones. Elder men were considered the most knowledgeable regarding to the number of species and citations.

Contribution of Rural Non-Farm Enterprises to Buen Vivir in Protected Areas in the Amazon

Rural non-farm activities are adaptation strategies that local communities develop as socioeconomic alternatives for facing imposed restrictions in protected areas To highlight these strategies this study aimed to relate the socioeconomic variables of social agents SAs with their perceptions about the impact of rural non-farm enterprises RNFEns on the Buen Vivir of their community as residents of the Sustainable Development Reserve of Tup Manaus Amazonas In this exploratory research through semi-structured interviews and participatory observations the perceptions of the SAs about the dimensions of Buen Vivir Psychological Well-Being Time Use Community Vitality Culture Environment and others were evaluated and how these perceptions relate to the socioeconomic variables of the RNFEns In the perception of the SAs the RNFEns positively impact Buen Vivir in the dimensions with the strongest collective tendency and negatively in the dimensions with the strongest private tendency with pluriactivity being the explanatory variabl

Composição florística, estrutura e relação solo-vegetação em três áreas de campinarana na Amazônia central

The Amazonian white-sand vegetation presents a set of unique features, such as the dominance of a few species, high endemism and low species richness, which differentiate it from other Amazonian forests. Soil parameters have long been recognized as the main drivers of white-sand vegetation (WSV) characteristics. However, how they influence the composition, richness and structure of this vegetation type is still poorly understood. In this study we investigated the variation in floristic composition between patches and the soil-vegetation relations in three central Amazonian WSV patches. We tested whether slight differences in soil properties are linked with differences in floristic composition, species richness and forest structure in adjacent patches. In each patch three plots of 50 x 50 m were sampled (a total of 2.25 ha). Soil samples were collected for each plot. The sampling cutoff for arboreal individuals was DBH ≥ 5 cm. We sampled a total of 3956 individuals belonging to 40 families and 140 species. In each patch only a few species were dominant, but the dominant species varied among patches. Differences among patches were significant, but plots in the same patch tended to have similar species composition. The variable sum of bases (SB) was directly related to species composition, however, species richness and forest structure were not related to soil parameters. Even small variations in soil parameters can change species composition in WSV, although these variations do not necessarily influence the richness and other structural parameters. © 2018, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazonia. All rights reserved

Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities

Aim: Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types. Location: Amazonia. Taxon: Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots). Methods: Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega-phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran\u27s eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny. Results: In the terra firme and várzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igapó and white-sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R$^{2}$ = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R$^{2}$ = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types. Main Conclusion: Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long-standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions

Geographic patterns of tree dispersal modes in Amazonia and their ecological correlates

Aim: To investigate the geographic patterns and ecological correlates in the geographic distribution of the most common tree dispersal modes in Amazonia (endozoochory, synzoochory, anemochory and hydrochory). We examined if the proportional abundance of these dispersal modes could be explained by the availability of dispersal agents (disperser-availability hypothesis) and/or the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits (resource-availability hypothesis). Time period: Tree-inventory plots established between 1934 and 2019. Major taxa studied: Trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 9.55 cm. Location: Amazonia, here defined as the lowland rain forests of the Amazon River basin and the Guiana Shield. Methods: We assigned dispersal modes to a total of 5433 species and morphospecies within 1877 tree-inventory plots across terra-firme, seasonally flooded, and permanently flooded forests. We investigated geographic patterns in the proportional abundance of dispersal modes. We performed an abundance-weighted mean pairwise distance (MPD) test and fit generalized linear models (GLMs) to explain the geographic distribution of dispersal modes. Results: Anemochory was significantly, positively associated with mean annual wind speed, and hydrochory was significantly higher in flooded forests. Dispersal modes did not consistently show significant associations with the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits. A lower dissimilarity in dispersal modes, resulting from a higher dominance of endozoochory, occurred in terra-firme forests (excluding podzols) compared to flooded forests. Main conclusions: The disperser-availability hypothesis was well supported for abiotic dispersal modes (anemochory and hydrochory). The availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits seems an unlikely explanation for the distribution of dispersal modes in Amazonia. The association between frugivores and the proportional abundance of zoochory requires further research, as tree recruitment not only depends on dispersal vectors but also on conditions that favour or limit seedling recruitment across forest types