Selection of tree species for silvopastoral systems from an ethnoecological approach in the south of Espírito Santo

Name: MAURICIO LIMA DAN

Publication date: 28/02/2020
Advisor:

Namesort descending Role
HENRIQUE MACHADO DIAS Co-advisor *
SUSTANIS HORN KUNZ Advisor *

Examining board:

Namesort descending Role
CAMILAH ANTUNES ZAPPES External Examiner *
KARLA MARIA PEDRA DE ABREU External Examiner *
SUSTANIS HORN KUNZ Advisor *

Summary: In view of the predominance of the extensive livestock system in Brazil, silvopastoral systems (SPSs) are believed as an alternative for greater social, economic and environmental sustainability. Research on socio-cultural and ecological aspects is important to achieve the success of SPSs in the country, so a region of Espírito Santo state was used as a pilot study. The present thesis sought to answer the following question: Which species of trees occurring in the pastures of Macrorregião Sul are promising for silvopastoral practices? The data collection in the field took place in the municipalities of Alegre, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim and Jerônimo Monteiro. A phytosociological study about scattered trees in pastures was carried out in nine small rural properties (P1 to P9), three per municipality The inventory was carried out predominantly through the census. Trees with bole diameter ≥ 5.0 cm at 1.30 m above the ground and total height ≥ 3.0 m were included. Ethnographic interviews were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire in order to identify empirical knowledge and environmental perceptions of family farmers about trees and pastures. The main phytosociological indicators were the Importance Value (IV), Shannon index (H') and species richness. The main ethnoecological indicator was the Use Value of the species (UVs). In 136.9 ha of discontinuous pastures, 143 tree species were inventoried among 2253 individuals. The total tree diversity was H’= 3.6. We interviewed 42 people, 38 of whom reported 46 tree species with UVs. The classes of uses "construction/crafts", "firewood", "fauna attraction" and "food" represented 69.15% of the citations. There were significant correlations between IV and UVs, mainly for species with wood use. Tree species represented in the field by at least ten isolated individuals each were considered for analysis aiming at silvopastoral potential. Trees whose crowns were not touched or overlapped vertically by other crowns were considered isolated. A mathematical algorithm was created to select and order, through the Ethnoecological Selection Index (EESI), ten tree species with cultural and ecological potential for afforestation of pastures. These ten species were evaluated for interactions with soil cover, with the production of herbaceous biomass, with soil properties and with grazing and deposition of feces by cattle. The same species were ordered by the Tree Selection Index (TSI) for silvopastoral systems. A third index called the Regional Selection Index (RSI) was proposed for silvopastoral systems: RSI = (EESI + TSI)/2 was calculated for each of the ten species from the average of the previous index values. With a focus on multiple services (RSI-MS), the following decreasing order of potential is obtained: (1) Anadenanthera colubrina; (2) Handroanthus arianeae; (3) Dalbergia nigra; (4) Gallesia integrifolia; (5) Albizia polycephala; (6) Zeyheria tuberculosa; (7) Ramisia brasiliensis; (8) Balfourodendron riedelianum; (9) Cupania oblongifolia and (10) Cybistax antisyphilitica. With a focus on timber products (RSI-TP), the following decreasing order of potential is reached: (1) Handroanthus arianeae; (2) Anadenanthera colubrina; (3) Dalbergia nigra; (4) Gallesia integrifolia; (5) Albizia polycephala; (6) Balfourodendron riedelianum; (7) Zeyheria tuberculosa; (8) Cupania
oblongifolia; (9) Ramisia brasiliensis and (10) Cybistax antisyphilitica.

Keywords: scattered trees; ethnoecology; ethnobotany, wooded pasture; ecological interaction.

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