Quintais da Ilha Saracá, Limoeiro do Ajuru, Pará: Agrobiodiversidade e aspectos socioeconômicos das famílias ribeirinhas

Abstract

Homegardens are composed of various agricultural and forest species, usually combined with small animal husbandry. It is being common in tropical regions and practiced by families who lives in rural, periurban and urban areas. This study aimed to evaluate the floristic composition and use of species in homegardens. Their influence on the socioeconomic aspects of riverine families in a floodplain area of the Amazon. Fifteen family farms from Saracá Island, belonging to Limoeiro do Ajuru, Pará, were selected. After that, the families' socioeconomic data were collected through a questionnaire and participatory observation. Through guided tours, data were collected to compose the botanical inventory of each homegardens with the cataloging and counting of the number of each individual species and the record of their main uses, growth habits. Finally, analyzes of phytosociological parameters (frequency and density) were performed. The agroforestry homegardens had an average area of 0.06 ha. The average age of homegardens is 45 years, ranging from 15 to 78 years. In 73.3% of the homegardens the maintenance activity is performed by women. Agriculture is not the main source of income for properties, but also retirement and agro-extractivism. A total of 115 species distributed in 101 genera and 50 botanical families were recorded, especially the Lamiaceae family. Most species have exotic origin of herbaceous habit. The plants, registered in the visited homegardens, are intended for seven different uses, being the category of medicinal use that stands out. The most frequent and densest species in the backyards of the investigated families were açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) And cacao (Theobroma cacao L.), being their extraction and commercialization the basis of local income generation.