CHARACTERIZATION AND PARTICIPATIVE MAPPING OF NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCT EXTRACTION: THE CASE OF LEATHERLEAF FERN Rumohra adiantiformis (G. FORST.) CHING

Resumo

Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFP) are plant products other than wood and firewood originating from natural or managed vegetation types. Rumohra adiantiformis (G. Forst.) Ching is one of these NTFP, a fern commercialized all around the world. The extractive activity of the species was characterized in the region of the Acaraí State Park, at São Francisco do Sul, Brazil. The extraction of the fern for commercial purposes generates income and helps in securing the livelihoods of families in the Acaraí region. The fern is harvested year round by a small number of extractivists in areas within and surrounding the Acaraí State Park. The harvesting activity in the region is dynamic, shaped by factors such as the low amount paid to the harvesters, as well as the relationships between extractivists, and other complementary activities that generate income. The local knowledge about the species and its harvesting was registered. Participatory mapping supplemented the information gathered in the interviews, creating a spatial perspective of this NTFP harvesting. There is a potential to promote actions for sustainability of the fern harvesting, including the conservation goal.