Effects of ecological and anthropogenic factors on population demography of the harvested Butia capitata palm in the Brazilian Cerrado

Abstract

Plant population response to ecological and anthropogenic factors provides essential information for conservation and management, mainly for species occurring in ecosystems under intense and rapid land use changes, like the Cerrado. We assessed the effects of land use and management upon the distribution of size and on the frequency of life stages of Butia capitata, an intensively harvested fruit palm, endemic to a southeastern portion of the Brazilian Cerrado. Most populations had a reverse-J size-class distribution, indicating good recruitment in the landscape even under fruit harvesting pressure and extensive cattle ranching. Regeneration was null or scarce in areas under more intense land use and management pressure, such as found on large, industrial farms. Soil fertility and texture were associated with seedling frequency, soil texture with sapling frequency, and precipitation with juvenile frequency. These factors must be taken into account for the enrichment, introduction and restoration of populations, actions demanded by traditional populations and family farmers who harvest the valuable fruits of B. capitata. Populations in areas with intense land use and inadequate management practices may be doomed to plummet. In contrast, in areas managed by traditional peoples and family farmers, characterized by low intensity of fruit harvesting and low frequency of cattle, populations should persist. Supporting traditional peoples and family farmers’ livelihoods and promoting changes in the management of areas where the species occurs may contribute to in situ conservation of the Cerrado’s biodiversity in multiple-use landscapes.