RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ETHNOBOTANICAL KNOWLEDGE IN A POTIGUAR INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY AND THE CONSERVATION OF LOCAL VEGETATION
Natural resources, Ethnobotany, Plant Systematics, Conservation Unit, Native Communities.
Traditional communities are extensively studied in the fields of social and natural sciences because these communities, in addition to their rich cultural heritage, exhibit a distinct relationship with natural resources compared to the residents of large metropolitan areas. However, it is observed that while these communities increasingly attract scientific attention, they also face pressure from companies and landowners seeking the resources in their territories, as well as discrimination against their nature-protection practices. Rio Grande do Norte is a state characterized by two highly significant and currently well-studied biomes: the Caatinga and the Atlantic Forest. Furthermore, it boasts considerable socio-diversity, including indigenous villages. In the state, 11 state-level Conservation Units (UCs) have been established to conserve biodiversity in both Atlantic Forest and Caatinga areas. In this context, the general objective of this study is to conduct a floristic and ethnobotanical survey in the Piquiri-Una Protected Area, where the indigenous community of Katu is located. The secondary objectives include diagnosing the floristic composition, understanding the use of plants by this community, contributing to the characterization of traditional knowledge within the indigenous communities of Rio Grande do Norte, understanding how the cultural and religious expressions of the population connect with the local vegetation, and characterizing a sustainable development area in a transitional state between the two biomes present in the state. The first part of the study involved semistructured interviews with the community, covering 42 families regarding the use of plants for medicinal, nutritional, cultural, and construction purposes. Plant specimens were collected for identification and cataloging at the Herbarium of Parque das Dunas. A total of 37 botanical families were recorded, encompassing 76 medicinal species. Additionally, 10 native tree species with ethnobotanical uses, which were extracted from the Katu Sustainable Use Zone, were highlighted.