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Background: Cactaceae species are physiologically adapted to regions with arid and semi-arid climates, in which they are available and often used by traditional communities. This study aimed to analyze how ethnobotanical knowledge is influenced by socioeconomic factors such as age and gender in a semi-arid region of Paraiba, Brazil.Methods: This study was conducted in rural communities in the semi-arid region of Paraiba, northeastern Brazil. The data were collected by applying a semi-structured questionnaire to 44 informants (30 men and 14 women). The average age of the informants was 39 years; however, women were 39–77 and men were 31–80 years old. The chi-square test was used to analyze differences regarding knowledge, according to gender and age. The influence of gender (male and female) and age in the distribution of uses per category and species was assessed through the Poisson distribution model.Results: The following native species were recorded: Cereus jamacaru DC. subsp. jamacaru, Melocactus zehntneri, Pilosocereus gounellei (F.A.C. Weber) Byles & G.D. Rowley subsp. gounellei, Pilosocereus pachycladus F.Ritter, Tacinga inamoena (K. Schum.) N.P. Taylor & Stuppy, and Tacinga palmadora (Britton & Rose) N.P. Taylor & Stuppy, which had 436 citations in different categories of use (food, fuel, construction, fodder, medicinal, technology, and others). Our results indicated that residents cite more uses for fodder, food, and medicinal purposes. C. jamacaru had the highest UV and young men cited more uses for the species. Conclusions: Social variables tend to influence residents’ knowledge. Among the categories of use, the residents indicated a higher number of uses for fodder and C. jamacaru was the most prominent species.Keywords: Ethnobotany; Caatinga; Socioeconomic Factors; Use Value

Cactaceae species are important resources in the semi-arid region of Brazil and have been used and managed in a specific way by farmers to optimize and ensure the availability of cacti to rural communities. Thus, this study aimed to investigate management techniques used by residents of four rural communities in the municipality of Cabaceiras, Paraiba, Northeast Brazil. For this, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 44 informants. Seventeen of them reported performing some type of management using the following cacti species: Pilosocereus gounellei (F.A.C. Weber) Byles & G.D. Rowley subsp. gounellei, Cereus jamacaru DC. subsp. Jamacaru, Pilosocereus pachycladus F. Ritter subsp. pernambucoensis (F. Ritter) Zappi, Tacinga palmadora (Britton & Rose) N.P. Taylor & Stuppy, and Melocactus zehntneri (Britton & Rose) Luetzelb. Ex situ and in situ management techniques were recorded. The first one performed by transplantation of propagules and the second one by tolerance. The species propagation is carried out using shoots and vegetative parts. Of the species identified, only Cereus jamacaru has more than one form of management. In addition to management, informants use rudimentary techniques such as burning the vegetative parts for fodder purposes.

Humans have used and coexisted with cacti in arid regions of North and South America for thousands of years. Species of the family Cactaceae possess physiological adaptations to arid and semi-arid climates that have allowed them to be used as a resource throughout the year by traditional peoples. The objective of this review is to present information on the uses and management of species of Cactaceae in the various regions of the Americas. This review provides information relevant to conservation policies regarding this important resource for local populations in semi-arid regions. To fully understand how management can influence cacti conservation, a knowledge gap regarding the traditional management of cacti needs to be addressed.

The present study tested the ecological apparency hypothesis in a Brazilian rural community. It used the use value to test the information gained through three types of calculations (UVchange, UVgeneral, UVpotential). A vegetation inventory was performed in two areas near Capivara, Paraiba, Brazil, and 112 informants were interviewed. For the hypothesis test, the Spearman correlation coefficient was used to correlate the phytosociological (vegetation) and ethnobotanical data (use value). The study recorded 25 useful species in the first site and 20 in the second site. Positive correlations were found in the first site, between the UVg to basal area and dominance, and between the UVc and basal area, dominance, and importance value. In the second site, between the UVg and both basal area and dominance and between UVc and basal area, density, and dominance. Apparency explained the local importance of useful plants in construction, technology, and fuel, but was not explanative of medicine. Also, important responses were observed for the different use values.