Conservation priorities for medicinal woody species in a cerrado area in the Chapada do Araripe, northeastern Brazil

Abstract

Current ethnobiological studies can offer positive aspects when they include the knowledge of traditional communities in developing different strategies for biodiversity conservation. This study aimed to classify medicinal woody species for priority conservation site in an area of cerrado disjoint in Chapada do Araripe, northeastern Brazil. The availability of woody medicinal plants and conservation priority scores were achieved by the relative density of the sampled forest fragment and ethnobotanical information obtained through semi-structured interviews with 50 local informants. Sixty-one woody medicinal plants were recorded, belonging to 26 families and 59 genera; 29 of these were available and have the use of bark and inner stem bark associated (46.6%). Himatanthus drasticus (Mart.) Plumel, Caryocar coriaceum Wittm., Ximenia americana L., Croton zehntneri Pax & K. Hoffm., Hymenaea courbaril L., Copaifera lansdorfii Desf., Sideroxylon obtusifolium (Roem. & Schult.) T.D.Penn., Anacardium ocidentale L. and Dimorphandra gardneriana Tull. are some of the priority species needing attention in carrying out conservation measures, in order to ensure the perpetuation of these species and the sustainability of traditional therapeutics practices.