Abstract
A caatinga brasileira é uma das florestas tropicais secas mais ameaçadas do mundo, principalmente devido á fragmentação de habitats em função das pressões antrópicas. No entanto, as regiões montanhosas da Caatinga são consideradas refúgios de biodiversidade, com elevada riqueza de espécies vegetais, as quais são utilizadas para diversas finalidades por populações humanas locais. O presente estudo buscou identificar o conhecimento ecológico local das comunidades rurais no entorno de uma Serra na região semi-árida do Brasil, considerada um refúgio para a biodiversidade. O estudo foi realizado por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas, com informantes-chave sendo selecionados pela técnica de amostragem de bola de neve. Segundo os informantes, a serra representa o resgate na memória de paisagens anteriores, ligadas à biodiversidade que ela contém e explicando a importância como fonte de recursos e influência nos regimes locais de chuvas. Para as populações locais, a conservação da biodiversidade da Caatinga representa mais do que apenas a preservação da fauna e flora, compreendendo também a permanência das funções dos ecossistemas para a manutenção de suas atividades.
Highlights
The local representation of native vegetation has been recognized as important ecological knowledge when evaluating changes in landscapes in different regions of the world (GÓMEZ-LIMÓN; FERNÁNDEZ, 1999; LYKKE, 2000; XU et al, 2006; SILVA et al, 2014)
Through these studies it is possible to identify changes in a landscape based on the “vision” of local communities, since local people can indicate which species have declined over the years, and this information can be used to support restoration projects (SILVA et al, 2014) and the sustainable maintenance of local activities that use natural resources (LOPES et al, 2017)
It is increasingly recognized that local ecological knowledge (LEK) is an important component that guides conservation actions (BERKES et al, 2000; ARAÚJO, 2010; TOLEDO; BASSOLS, 2010; HUNTINGTON, 2011; LOPES, 2017)
Summary
The local representation of native vegetation has been recognized as important ecological knowledge when evaluating changes in landscapes in different regions of the world (GÓMEZ-LIMÓN; FERNÁNDEZ, 1999; LYKKE, 2000; XU et al, 2006; SILVA et al, 2014).Through these studies it is possible to identify changes in a landscape based on the “vision” of local communities, since local people can indicate which species have declined over the years, and this information can be used to support restoration projects (SILVA et al, 2014) and the sustainable maintenance of local activities that use natural resources (LOPES et al, 2017).Local populations have unique perceptions about the use of resources and the environment that are important to the conservation (LOPES, 2017) and traditional management (MITTERMEIER et al, 2003) of biodiversity. The local representation of native vegetation has been recognized as important ecological knowledge when evaluating changes in landscapes in different regions of the world (GÓMEZ-LIMÓN; FERNÁNDEZ, 1999; LYKKE, 2000; XU et al, 2006; SILVA et al, 2014). Through these studies it is possible to identify changes in a landscape based on the “vision” of local communities, since local people can indicate which species have declined over the years, and this information can be used to support restoration projects (SILVA et al, 2014) and the sustainable maintenance of local activities that use natural resources (LOPES et al, 2017). The representation that human populations have about their environment is relected in the way they interact with and the availability of resources in their surroundings (ALBUQUERQUE, 2006; CARREGOSA et al, 2015), and assists in the analysis of changes occurring in ecosystems over time (BYG; SALIK, 2009)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
