ABSTRACT We employed a biocultural approach to understanding the dynamics of knowledge ans use of natural resources associated in immaterial aspects of culture. We investigated whether factors such as sex, income, age, religion, occupation and time of participation in cultural practice influence the richness of species known and used by members of Cavalo Marinho, expression of the popular culture of the Brazilian Northeast that brings together theater, music and dance. We recorded a total of 111 ethnospecies (95 plants and 16 animals), based on information obtained from 56 informants. .There was a predominance of native plants and domestic animals in the knowledge of the participants in this cultural expression, although effective use is restricted to few species. Men had greater knowledge of the species than women, while people with greater schooling and income, and those whose occupation is related to agriculture, homecare and art, used more resources than other participant. The influence of socioeconomic factors on the knowledge and use of natural resources related to intangible aspects of culture differs, in some respects (schooling, gender and occupation), from that reported for the use of natural resources for subsistence purposes.

O bioma Caatinga, localizado na região semiárida brasileira, está distribuído em nove estados, incluindo Pernambuco. Os objetivos deste estudo foram: obter informações que contribuam para a compreensão da diversidade alfa e gama da microbiota da Caatinga; comparar a composição da mixobiota em áreas de caatinga situadas nos municípios de Serra Talhada (ST) e Mirandiba (M) com a encontrada em um enclave de floresta úmida (brejo de altitude) situado no município de Triunfo (T). Os espécimes foram coletados sobre restos lenhosos (173), folhedo (26), restos de plantas suculentas (3), casca de árvore viva (1) e fezes de herbívoros (1). Hemitrichia calyculata foi a espécie mais abundante (60 registros); outras espécies comuns foram Arcyria cinerea (20), Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa (19), A. denudata (16) e H. serpula (13). Apresenta-se uma lista comentada de 37 espécies, distribuídas em 17 gêneros, sete famílias e cinco ordens. A mixobiota dos três ambientes difere entre si: CC M/ST = 0,25; CC M/T = 0,06; CC ST/T = 0,39. A relação espécie/gênero foi muito baixa na caatinga e relativamente alta na floresta úmida (S/G M = 1,0; S/G ST= 1,3; S/G T = 2,14). A abundância de espécimes e o número de espécies (M = 4/4; ST= 26/12; T= 172/29) tendem a aumentar com a elevação da altitude e da pluviosidade. Fuligo megaspora é referida pela primeira vez para o Nordeste e Didymium perforatum é um novo registro para o Brasil.

The Caatinga biome, situated in the Brazilian semi-arid region, is distributed among the territories of nine states, including Pernambuco. The objectives of this study were: (1) to understand the alpha and gamma diversity of the Caatinga myxobiota; and (2) to compare the composition of the myxobiota present in two areas of typical xerophilous vegetation situated in Serra Talhada (ST) and Mirandiba (M) municipalities with an enclave of rain forest situated in the municipality of Triunfo (T). Specimens were collected on woody debris (173), litter (26), debris of succulent plants (3), bark of a living tree (1) and dung (1). Hemitrichia calyculata was the most abundant species (60 records). Other common species were Arcyria cinerea (20), Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa (19), A. denudata (16) and H. serpula (13), which were collected during dry and humid periods. An annotated list is presented with records of 37 species from 17 genera, seven families and five orders. Myxomycetes assemblages differed from each other: CC M/ST = 0.25, CC M/T = 0.06, CC ST/T = 0.39. The species/genus ratio was rather low in the caatinga and relatively high in the humid forest (S/G M = 1.0, S/G ST= 1.3, S/G T = 2.14). Specimen abundance and the total number of species (M = 4/4, ST= 26/12, T= 172/29) increased with increasing precipitation and altitude. Fuligo megaspora is reported for the first time for the Northeast Region and Didymium perforatum is a new record for Brazil.