Ethnobotanical approach with fishermen about the use of aquatic plants found in the Pericumã river and in flooded areas in the Baixada Maranhense Environmental Protection Area (APA da Baixada Maranhense)

• DOI: 10.22533/at.ed.813272220109

• Palavras-chave: traditional knowledge; popular knowledge; aquatic macrophytes; flooded areas.

• Keywords: traditional knowledge; popular knowledge; aquatic macrophytes; flooded areas.

• Abstract:

  Aquatic plants perform several extremely important functions for the functioning of aquatic ecosystems. Since their use is based on knowledge passed on from generation to generation, these plants contribute to the maintenance of ethnobotanical knowledge, and make it possible to understand the interrelationships between humans and plants. The present research aims to study the traditional knowledge of the use of vascular aquatic plants from the Pericumã River by fishermen, as a tool to subsidize the conservation and sustainability of aquatic resources. For this purpose, an expedition along the river and surrounding flooded areas, and interviews with fishermen using the “Snowball” methodology were used as study methods. With the present study, it is possible to observe the presence of different ethnospecies which were identified by the interviewees, and that their uses are for adverse purposes, but mainly related to animal feed.