Traditional knowledge and use of Mimosa tenuiflora (Wild.) Poir. (jurema-preta) in the semi-arid region from Northeastern Brazil

Abstract

This study aimed to record information concerning the knowledge and use of Mimosa tenuiflora (Wild.) Poir. in three rural communities in the cities of Itaporanga, Lagoa and São Mamede (Paraíba, Brazil). Semi-structured interviews were conducted with all heads of families (men/women), in the communities of Pau D’Arco, Barroquinhas and Várzea Alegre. The interviews focused on the identification and analysis of the current and potential uses, to obtain more precise information about the relationship of the informants with M. tenuiflora. The uses were distributed into nine categories. In the communitites of Pau D’Arco in Itaporanga town, Lagoa in Barroquinhas and São Mamede in Várzea Alegre, 43, 181 and 158 use citations were identified, respectively. The separation of current and potential use is important for expressing the situation in terms of the conservation of species that are threatened by the multiplicities of uses. The greatest current use for M. tenuiflora, considering all uses attributed in the three communities, was for fuel and construction. Therefore, research that focuses on the uses of M. tenuiflora (Wild.) Poir. becomes urgent, since it must value ideological studies that have the rescue of traditional knowledge about the Caatinga as their epistemological basis, as a way to fulfil the largest number of utility properties for the species and from the findings, implement plans for the sustainable management for each local community.