ABSTRACT Fabaceae is one of the largest families of ethnopharmacological importance. From this botanical group, important chemical constituents that act in the treatment and/or healing of various bodily systems arise. The objective of this study was to evaluate the most versatile Fabaceae species and the agreement of use among the informants, in the Chapada do Araripe Savanna. The research included five rural communities located in the municipalities of Nova Olinda, Crato, Barbalha, Moreilândia and Exu, covering the states of Ceará and Pernambuco. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 126 informants, adopting the snowball technique and using a standardized form. The relative importance and the Informant Consensus Factor were analyzed for the selection of species with therapeutic potential. Twenty-six medicinal species, distributed across 22 genera, were associated with seventy therapeutic purposes. As for the habitat of the species, the arboreal habitat predominated (76.92%). In relation to the plant parts, the bark (28.57%) and stem inner bark (26.53%) were the most used structures. Among the species, four showed great versatility in relation to their uses, with relative importance (RI>1), these being: Copaifera langsdorffii Desf. (1.70), Stryphnodendron rotundifolium Mart. (1.52), Bowdichia virgiloides Kunth (1.10) and Amburana cearenses (Allemand) A. C. Sm. (1.02). These species had eight to thirty curative properties and ranged from five to twelve body systems. The therapeutic indications cited were grouped into sixteen categories of body systems, of which Sensory System Disorders and Mental and Behavioral Diseases presented maximum values for the Informant Consensus Factor. For the Sexual Impotence category there was no agreement, whereas for the remaining systems the Informant Consensus Factor ranged from 0.33 to 0.91. The study evidences that the information of use and/or knowledge are shared among the people within the community, proving the great importance of Fabaceae in the use of medicinal plants.

Para acompanhar o impacto da implantação do porto de Suape, PE, na estrutura da vegetação do mangue, foram comparados dados de 1988 e 1995, em seis áreas pouco antropizadas (PA), quatro muito antropizadas (MA), três em regeneração inicial (RI) e duas em regeneração antiga (RA). Em cada área foram alocadas seis parcelas de 10 x 10m e medidos altura das plantas e diâmetro dos caules. Quatro espécies foram encontradas, sem um padrão de zonação definido: Rhizophora mangle L., Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn., Avicennia schauerianna Stapf. & Leechman e Avicennia germinans L. Conocarpus erecta L. apareceu apenas na transição mangue - restinga. A distribuição das espécies não teve mudanças marcantes entre 1988 e 1995 e nem diferenças nas situações de antropização. As áreas PA tiveram uma diversidade grande de estrutura (densidade, 917-5683 plantas/ha; área basal, 12,7-60,8m²/ha; diâmetros médios e máximos, 5,6-22,4 e 12-36cm; alturas médias e máximas, 6,7-16,3m e 10-18m) e mudanças, no período, indicando que tinham sofrido cortes seletivos, já sem marcas visíveis. Sem o acompanhamento no tempo, não seriam bom padrão de referência. As áreas MA tinham sinais visíveis de corte seletivo e reduções na densidade de plantas com diâmetro >10 cm e nas áreas basais. As áreas em regeneração após aterro ou alagamento, antes (RA) e depois de 1988 (RI), tinham alturas, diâmetros e áreas basais inferiores tanto aos de PA e MA, mas as de RA tinham as maiores densidades (7150-11850 plantas/ha). Portanto, oito anos não foram suficientes para sua recuperação.

To monitor the impact of the Suape (PE, Brazil) port construction on the vegetation structure of the mangroves of the area, data from 1988 and 1995 were compared, using six little disturbed sites (LD), four sites undergoing selective logging (SL), three old regeneration sites (OR) and two new regeneration sites (NR). Six plots 10 x 10m were established in each site, all plants found in those in plots had for their height and stem diameter measured. Four species were found without a well defined distribution pattern: Rhizophora mangle L., Laguncularia racemosa (L.) Gaertn., Avicennia schauerianna Stapf. & Leechman and Avicennia germinans L. Conocarpus erecta L. was present in the mangrove - sand coastal transition area. The species distribution showed no marked change between 1988 and 1995 and no differences related to disturbance situation. LD sites had a large structural diversity (density, 917-5683 plant/ha; basal area, 12.7-60.8m²/ha; average and maximum diameter, 5.6-22.4 and 12-36 cm; average and maximum height, 6.7-16.3 and 10-18m) and their changes during the period indicate that selective cutting had occurred, but no signs of that could be detected. Without periodical monitoring, they would not provide an adequate reference pattern. SL sites had visible logging marks and decreases in the densities of plants with diameter > 10cm and in basal areas. Regeneration sites after flooding or filling up with earth, before (OR) and after 1988 (NR), had height, diameter and basal area lower than those of LD and SL, but OR had the highest density (7150-11850 plant/ha). Therefore, 8 years were not enough for recovery.