Fernandes-Pinto, E. & Saraiva, N. A.; 2007a.

Local Knowledge, management and conservation of the buriti palm forests in the region of
Lenis Maranhenses (Brazil). Trabalho apresentado na XV International Conference of the Society for Human Ecology. Rio de
Janeiro/RJ, 04 a 07 de outubro de 2007.

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE, MANAGEMENT AND CONSERVATION OF THE BURITI PALM FORESTS IN THE
REGION OF LENIS MARANHENSES (BRAZIL)
Fernandes-Pinto, rika1 & Saraiva2, Nicholas Allain

1 IBAMA/Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Resources

erikalencois@yahoo.com.br
2 NGO Pivot Maranho nicholas@pivot.org.br

The region of Lenis Maranhenses is situated in the northeast of the state of Maranho, Brazil, in an
area distinguished by a wide variety of environments and landscapes, including dune fields, mangrove
swamps, sandy plains and coastal savanna. This region is part of a mosaic of Federal and State
Conservation Units of Sustainable Use and Overall Protection. Its natural wealth and cultural
diversity, however, is in sharp contrast with the poverty of its inhabitants. Scattered among hundreds
of localities, its essentially rural population subsists from a combination of farming, animal husbandry,
artisanal fishing, extractivism, and handicrafts activities. Their handicrafts are made principally from
the fibers of the buriti palm (Mauritia flexuosa), a species occurring widely in the region. Based on an
ethnoecological approach, the purpose of this research was to record and rekindle the populations
knowledge about the buriti palm tree and its associated ecosystems, with emphasis on its use,
management and conservation. Fieldwork was carried out in the municipalities of Barreirinhas and
Paulino Neves between January 2006 and July 2007. Information was gathered from field surveys,
collective meetings and semistructured interviews with artisans, buriti extractivists and residents in
general. Our findings indicate that the buriti can be considered an umbrella species and a symbol of
the region, with multiple uses of practically all its parts, and of fundamental ecological importance in
the maintenance of its associated ecosystems. Buriti extractivism involves traditional management
practices and a profound knowledge of the environments and associated species, and disrespect toward
them in some localities has led to overexploitation of resources and environmental endangerment. The
type of handicrafts produced in Lenis Maranhenses from buriti palm fibers is unique in the country
and represents an important cultural feature of the regions population. Based on the results of this
diagnosis and on discussions between local and scientific experts, sustainable community management
strategies for the regions buriti forests are proposed, in an activity that can add value to the social,
cultural, environmental and historical dimensions involved, promoting improvements in the regions
quality of life and development.