Diagnóstico da exploração de lenha em planos de manejo sustentável na caatinga do Rio Grande do Norte

Abstract

The aim of this study was to diagnostic the logging practices in areas showing a Sustainable Forest Management Plan (SFMP) from Caatinga in the State of Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. Data were collected between 2015 and 2016, by interviews with farm owners from 30 areas that showed a SFMP and by application of a questionnaire. About 63,3% of SFMP had an area up to 750 ha, with productivity varying between 83 and 263 st/ha. The majority (70%) had up to three years of exploration activity and the main explored product was firewood for direct consumption. The wood slashing was being outsourced in 83% of the areas and accomplished by the farm owners in the others. Most of the farm owners (43,3%) found obstacles to hire trained workforce for slashing, which was performed using chainsaw in 66,7% of the properties and using axe and sickle in 13,3% of the properties. In 30% of the areas, there was an illegal exploration of firewood before the SFMP and in 63,3% of the properties the Legal Reserve was delimited by the occasion of SFMP elaboration. To 87,7% of farm owners that were interviewed, the sustainable forest management was considered economically interesting. Regarding the main obstacles found, 80% of the farm owners mentioned the lack of inspection of the exploration and the clandestine trade of firewood, and the others mentioned the delay of authorization by the environmental agency for starting the exploration activities. Despite these obstacles, most of the owners stated that they intend to keep the forest management.