Use and knowledge of fuelwood in an area of Caatinga vegetation in NE Brazil

doi:10.1016/j.biombioe.2007.11.015

Biomass and Bioenergy

Volume 32, Issue 6, June 2008, Pages 510-517

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2007.11.015 Get rights and content

Abstract

Caatinga (dryland) plants used as fuel by rural communities were examined to verify the criteria that determined the preference and use of each species, as well as the techniques and patterns involved in their harvesting. Fieldwork was carried out utilizing various methodologies for collecting and analyzing data, including semi-structured interviews, guided-tours, and direct observation. Differences in knowledge concerning the use of fuelwood species were examined in terms of informant sex and age, and local availability of these resources. A total of 67 plants were cited as energy sources, of which only 27 were actually used as domestic fuel, and 10 for charcoal production. The species most well known were the most collected, independent of their availability, in spite of the fact that other highly preferred species were more available. As only a small group of plants were heavily used, it will be important to quantify the harvesting of these resources in the region in order to estimate the impact of this use on the local vegetation.

Introduction

Fuelwood is used as an energy source by most of the world's population on a daily basis, especially in rural areas in developing countries [1], [2]. It is estimated that two out of every six people use wood as their principal energy source, making this one of the world's most important resources [1], [3]. While there is an overwhelming necessity to harvest firewood, these often scarce plant resources are being subjected to levels of demand above their replacement rate, with the result that fuel gathering is one of the principal activities contributing to the decline of forest cover on a global basis [1], [3].

In addition to the environmental implications of fuelwood harvesting, the high demand for biofuels as sources of energy (as wood or charcoal) has direct social implications. These biofuels are not only vital resources for cooking in rural communities throughout the world but also similarly support other activities and processes such as drying, fermentation, and energy production [1], [4], [5]. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is very aware of the social consequences generated by the scarcity of fuelwood in some severely affected countries, forcing those populations to scavenge for kilometers in order to collect the minimum of fuel necessary for their subsistence needs.

Ethnobotanical studies undertaken in many parts of the world have made important contributions to addressing these problems, gathering and discussing information about the use of biofuels by local and traditional populations [6], [7]. These reports have demonstrated that people use a wide spectrum of species for fuel purposes, but that some plant groups suffer greater harvesting pressure than others [8], [9].

In light of the lack of research concerning the use of native Brazilian plants as energy sources (especially in the caatinga biome), the present study sought to investigate the knowledge, use, and preferences for woody species used as fuel by rural communities, and to examine the local strategies for the selection, collection, and management of these species. A number of specific questions were addressed in this study: are there differences among community members in their use, knowledge, and preference for specific plant energy sources? Does the person's age or sex influence their relationship with these resources? What are the local criteria that determine the use of each species? Does availability affect the use of woody plants for fuel?

Section snippets

Study area

The municipality of Caruaru, located in the Pernambuco State, northeastern Brazil, at the approximate geographic coordinates 8°14′19″S and 35°55′17″W [10], covers an area of approximately 926.1 km² and has a population of 253,634 [11]. The regional vegetation is known as caatinga, which takes on a dry forest physiognomy in the study area, with a hot semi-arid climate, altitude of approximately 550 m, and an average annual temperature of 24 °C. The average annual rainfall is 609 mm, but can vary

Origin of the fuels used in the community

Half (50%) of the residents interviewed cooked only with liquid petroleum gas (LPG), having adopted it earlier in place of forest-derived fuels (at the time of the interview). The other half used biofuels extracted from forests to supply their energy needs for cooking (firewood or charcoal). Only 5% of these fuelwood-using residents fully depended on these fuels as their only combustion source while the other 45% also used LPG.

Approximately 33% of the homes visited were using firewood for

Origin of the fuels used in the community

Rural communities in many parts of the world commonly use associations of biofuels with non-forest energy sources [5], [19]. The criteria determining the use of one energy source are strongly linked to the economic status of the families. The high costs of commercial non-forest energy often oblige poor populations to resort to biofuels of forest origin (such as firewood or charcoal) as these can be acquired through their own labor, or at least at more accessible prices [6], [20]. Other decisive

Conclusions

The use of fuelwood in the Riachão de Malhada de Pedra community was quite heterogeneous, and it appears that economic limitations constituted the principal factor determining the use of biofuels derived from forest areas. In spite of the wide use of liquid petroleum gas, a significant portion (50%) of the population depends on biofuels such as charcoal and fuelwood, harvesting almost exclusively native species.

Independent of an informant's age, sex, or knowledge of biofuel resources in the

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to acknowledge the informants for their hospitality and receptivity during the fieldwork; Mr. Jair Pereira of the experimental station of the Empresa Pernambucana de Pesquisa Agropecuária (IPA) in Caruaru, Pernambuco, for logistical support; and the CNPq for the financial support and grant to U.P. Albuquerque.

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Use and knowledge of fuelwood in an area of Caatinga vegetation in NE Brazil

Abstract

Introduction

Section snippets

Study area

Origin of the fuels used in the community

Origin of the fuels used in the community

Conclusions

Acknowledgments

Biomass and Bioenergy

Biomass and Bioenergy

Biomass and Bioenergy

Biomass and Bioenergy

Journal of Ethnopharmacology

Energy

Ecological Economics

Energy Policy

Forest Ecology and Management

Biomass and Bioenergy

Biological Conservation

Forest Ecology and Management

Renewable Energy

Geoforum

Madera para producir energia

Madeira para energia no Brasil: realidade, visão estratégica e demanda de ações

Biomassa e energia

Wood Energy. Promoting sustainable energy systems

Assessment of fuel resource diversity and utilization patterns in Askot Wildlife Sanctuary in Kumaun Himalaya, India, for conservation and management

Environmental Conservation

Informant-based valuation of use and conservation preferences of savanna trees in Burkina Faso

Economic Botany