Espécies vegetais cultivadas no semiárido paraibano: diversidade, emprego socioeconômico e enfoque sustentável.

Abstract

In the semiarid, the production of plant species by the population in a community can have different uses, where these are associated with their popular knowledge, as to their medicinal properties, food and ornamental utility and also to provide a supplementary source of income to the family through of marketing. Thus this research aimed to inventory the diversity of plant species cultivated by the families living in Sítio Nova Olinda, Sousa - PB, and describe their socioeconomic and sustainable use. Observation of all cultivated plant species in each property, location and counting of individuals, identification of popular and scientific names, as well as the genus and family to which the species belongs, were used. Afterwards, a semi-structured interview was conducted for the residents, addressing the main questions regarding the characteristics of the property, the cultivation, the use of each plant species in the properties and the sustainability developed. We found 139 species from 113 genera and 57 families. These species are organized into four categories according to the main purpose of their use being food, ornamental, medicinal and forage food. The predominance of the herbaceous habit and the high occurrence of the exotic origin among the vegetables were clearly noticed, where the preference of cultivation of the food species was also diagnosed, besides the commercial use. Regarding planting and management practices, they reveal past experiences and knowledge with the generations, although it is influenced by current environments.