Impacto da dinâmica da demanda dos frutos de açaí nas relações socioeconômicas e composição florística no estuário amazônico

Abstract

In recent decades the demand for açaí in the state of Pará increased gradually given that the production and market of açaí fruit are the basis of the economy of more than 20 cities of Pará. The practice of extraction of açaí is carried out by men, women and children, driving up the consumption and currently turning to marketing. Due to this fact, the dynamic extraction of açaí began to change by the increased demand of açaí for the market, especially for the value the importance and economic interest. This study aims to assess the impact of changes of demand of açaí fruit in the (i) socioeconomic relation of income of açaí and (ii) density and floristic composition of agro-forestry areas managed by the riverine populations. The study was conducted in the Sao Joao Batista community, municipality of Abaetetuba, Pará - Brazil. The population's main source of labor extraction of açaí fruit. This was done with semi-structured and open interviews to the families of the community considered small and median açaí producers. The interviews encompassed two components, the economic aspect and the social aspect. In addition, data were collected daily on the amount of the basket of açaí berry collected, consumed and sold, and the price of each basket, in order to characterize the production and price in the different seasons of the crop. Also conducted a floristic inventory through an inventory in order to characterize the vegetation, to assess the density and floristic composition of palm area. For this set up a total of 10 plots of 20 x 50 m (1000 m2 or 0.1 ha) distributed in five selected properties, measuring the diameter of all trees adults > 10 cm DAP and palm trees with DAP > 2 cm and estimated the total height (H) of each individual from the base to the highest point of the leaves. The analysis of the diversity of palm areas used the Shannon-Wiener and Simpson index through the statistical program PAST - PAlaentologicalSTatistics, ver. 1.27. The main results were that the population of São João Batista community, the commercialization of acai as the main family income, and smaller-scale fishing for fish and shrimp. The sale of the production of açaí is made to intermediaries (marreteiros) (55%), market Abaetetuba (29%), the market in Belém (10%) and to marreteiro and/or market Abaetetuba (6%). The municipality of Abaetetuba from 2005 has a drop in extractive production from 10,500 t (2004) to 900 t (2005) and progressively decreasing until 770 t (2008). But, the amount of cultivated açaí production increased from 15,625 t (2003) to 131,250 t (2008) representing 99.4% of total production. In the community, was inventoried 1043 individuals of trees with a total of 11 families and 28 species, occupying larger basal areas the families Arecaceae (8.83) and Fabaceae (6.77) and with larger numbers of individual (831 and 147 respectively). The species with the highest importance value index (IVIS) and density were Euterpe oleracea (777 individuals), Pterocarpus sp. (126) and Mauritia flexuosa (50). Obtained low values in the Simpson 0.4275 and Shannon 1.071 index, which indicates that it has a low diversity resulting from management activities and extraction of palm heart and açaí fruit leading to a monoculture for consumption and sale of fruits. As a conclusion the increase of price is forced by rising demand, causing the expansion of areas for cultivation and planting of açaí to increase the production. The socioeconomic impact of management and cultivation of palm areas on the riverside and extractive economy of the Amazon estuary generates great opportunities for employment, income and quality of life for the people of the plains and the urban centers, especially favoring to the poor people