Extraction and Tropical Rain Forest Conservation in Eastern Brazil

Abstract

Management and extraction of non-timber products represents an alternative to destructive exploitation of Latin America’s tropical forests. Well adapted to subsistence level economies, extraction has nevertheless yet to prove itself ecologically sustainable when exposed to outside market forces and economically competitive when confronted with more destructive land uses. By means of a case study, this paper examines two objectives of the extraction option: (1) Can extraction remain economically competitive over the long term? and (2) Can management for extractive products contribute to the conservation of tropical forest biodiversity? Piassava palm (Attalea funifera Mart.) is endemic to the tropical rain forests of Bahia, Brazil. Its fibre has represented a commercially important product since the 16th century, first in the fashioning of anchor ropes and later in the manufacture of brooms and brushes. Destructive harvest methods during Brazil’s Imperial period resulted in near extirpation of the species. Privatization of the royal forests led to more sustainable harvest and management techniques. Fibre extraction now represents an economically sustainable land use. Piassava-rich lands are managed as long-fallow, second growth forests. An inventory 0.3 ha of managed piassava land revealed the presence of 52 tree and 19 shrub species, most of which also inhabit primary forests. By serving as a temporary repository of primary forest species, long-fallow forest managed for extractive products subsidizes the conservation of tropical biodiversity. These results suggest that (1) extraction of native forest products can compete economically with more destructive land uses, particularly if the land is of marginal value; (2) provided that sustainability incentives exist, private ownership is not necessarily inconsistent with the successful management of extractive resources; (3) relatively high species richness can be maintained as part of commercial extractive systems; and (4) secondary forests may represent the best candidates for the development of extractive enterprises.Key Wordsnon-timber productsPiassava palms Attalea funifera FibresConservationsustainable management