Conservation of wild food plants from wood uses: evidence supporting the protection hypothesis in Northeastern Brazil.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The interplay between different uses of woody plants remains underexplored, obscuring our understanding of how a plant's value for one purpose might shield it from other, more harmful uses. This study examines the protection hypothesis by determining if food uses can protect woody plants (trees and shrubs) from wood uses. We approached the hypothesis from two distinct possibilities: (1) the protective effect is proportional to the intensity of a species' use for food purposes, and (2) the protective effect only targets key species for food purposes.

Methods

The research was conducted in a rural community within "Restinga" vegetation in Northeast Brazil. To identify important food species for both consumption and income (key species) and the collection areas where

SUBMITTER: Caetano RA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11360515 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature