Botanical diversity of home gardens in upland areas in the community of Cafezal, Barcarena-Pará

Abstract

Agroforestry home gardens are important for smallholders globally because they provide diverse
resources to guarantee subsistence. They maintain agrobiodiversity and their study could
potentially guide locally appropriate agroecological interventions. This study sought to conduct
a survey of botanical diversity in home gardens in Cafezal, Pará. We applied semi-structured
questionnaires and guided tours, and conducted participant observation, involving 21 farmers.
One hundred and sixty two species were registered, 49.4% being comestibles, 30.9% medicinal,
14.8% ornamentals and 4.9% potential timber species. The preference for comestibles
indicates that home gardens contribute to food security in addition to guaranteeing leisure and
sociality for families.