Abstract
Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa Bonpl) management, is a traditional activity that plays a key role in the economy of forestbased Amazon communities and in the conservation of forests. Nevertheless, some threats and critical points related to sustainability indicate to the need for establishment of monitoring procedures that can assist in the management of this natural resource. The overall aim of the research was to evaluate the MESMIS method as a tool to support the participatory definition of sustainability indicators to monitor Brazil nut management, and the viability of Brazil nut harvest over time. For that, we carried out a case study in the Porvir Community, RESEX Chico Mendes, Acre State (Brazil), aiming to integrate the perceptions of Brazil nut harvesters, researchers, managers, and technicians to define the indicators. The result was the generation of 18 strategic indicators to assess sustainability in the environmental, technical-economic and social dimensions. Assessment parameters, representing conditions that must be achieved for system sustainability, were collectively defined for each indicator. The main critical values attributed in the evaluation of the indicators are related to Brazil nut commercialization to intermediaries and oscillation in the annual fruit production. The use of the MESMIS method was considered appropriate to the studied context and can be recommended to similar non-timber forest product management systems.
Highlights
The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest tropical forest, with about 52% of its territory protected as conservation units or indigenous lands
Income to the community is generated from extractivist activities, followed by agriculture and livestock (Acre, 2012)
The creation of a framework of indicators, built with the collaboration of community, based on the MESMIS method associated with other participatory research tools, allowed the articulation of knowledge and the construction of a set of 18 strategic sustainability indicators with easy access to harvesters
Summary
The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest tropical forest, with about 52% of its territory protected as conservation units or indigenous lands. These areas act as a buffer for external pressures of deforestation and expansion of the agricultural frontier, contributing significantly to ensuring biodiversity, reducing carbon emissions, and mitigating climate change. The Brazilian Amazon alone fixes roughly 30% of all carbon stored in protected natural areas and indigenous lands throughout the biome (Walker et al, 2020). The production of Brazil nuts is directly related to the conservation of the Amazon Forest. Brazil nuts is considered one of the most important non-timber forest products in the world (Gardner and Costi, 2014)
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
