QUANTO VALE AS SEMENTES DA CAATINGA? UMA PROPOSTA METODOLÓGICA

Abstract

The accelerated process of environmental degradation in the São Francisco Drainage Basin (BHSF) has generated a high demand for seeds destined to the production of plant propagules. However there is no information about the commercial value of the diaspores of forest species which occur in the BHSF. The objective of this study is to propose a system to evaluate the worthiness of the kilogram of seeds for 22 plant species of the Caatinga, based in the following parameters: geographic distribution, endemism, level of threat, functional group, processing, collection effort, classification of seeds and number of seeds per kilogram. Field studies were conducted in five municipalities of the the region of the central valley of the São Francisco River and on five islands located in the main channel of the São Francisco River, from August 2007 to September 2008. The prices calculated using our system varied from R$ 10.00 for Syagrus coronata Mart. Becc. (Arecaceae) and R$ 44.15 for Handroanthus spongiosus (Rizzini) S.O.Grose (Bignoniaceae). From a 50% cut percentage in a cluster multivariate analysis we identified the occurrence of three groups: a group with seeds of lesser commercial value (average value of R$ 18.80.Kg-1), a second group with intermediate commercial value (R$ 28.21.Kg-1) and a third group with seeds of higher commercial value (R$ 32.85.Kg-1). We hope that this study will contribute to the process of conservation and ecological restoration of Caatinga, and also to the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the local population from the commercialization of these seeds.