Ethnobotanical studies in the rural communities of Cocal dos Alves, Piauí: rescue of traditional knowledge

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the traditional knowledge in botany and analyze
socioeconomic data of the communities Gameleira, Goiabeira, Carnaubal, of the municipality
of Cocal dos Alves, Piauí. The work was carried out using qualitative and quantitative data,
collecting ethnobotanical and socioeconomic information through semi-etructured interviews,
using the snowball sampling method and the guided tour technique. The families with greater
representativeness in number of species were Fabaceae, Lamiaceae and Anacardiaceae. In
the three communities, The medicinal category was more featured, followed by use in human
food. Generally, the most used parts were the leaves, mainly in the form of teas. It was observed
that studies of this nature are very important since they help to know and preserve traditional
knowledge, as well contribute to the conservation of biological diversity.