Conflitos entre usos e proteção de espécies vegetais nas unidades de conservação da Serra de São José, Minas Gerais

Abstract

The Environmental Protection Area Serra de São José and the State Refuge of Wild Life Libélulas of Serra de São José, located in the region of Tiradentes, Minas Gerais-Brazil, are preservation areas that have a great biological diversity, distributed in three vegetation types, Cerrado, Semideciduous Forest and Rupestrian Fields. Which in addition to legally protect important biodiversity, also shelter residents who still make use of plant species extracted in the boundaries of those areas. As the Protected Areas legislation tends to restrict the direct use of biological resources, environmental conflicts are inevitable, and the loss of traditional knowledge is a consequence. Aiming to know, describe and analyze the past uses and plant species presently extracted in the protected areas in question, even as the disagreement in every context and identify possible contributions of ethnobotany to the named Conservation Unit management, the methodological tools were used, as well as ethnobotanical survey through three conducted tours on trails used by two extractors, and the application of semi structured questionnaire, which it was determined the species used, their applications and the used parts. Were identified data analysis included the qualitative approach based on the "Content Analysis", grounded on data obtained from semi-structured questionnaires and guided tours. It was concluded that there is traditional knowledge intrinsically linked to plant species, usually indicated for medicinal purposes. Environmental conflicts have been confirmed. However, they may help build inclusive public policies. Ethnobotanical studies may help in creating development programs to preserve biodiversity in Serra de São José.