Abstract Limited experiential contact to natural environment can affect the knowledge of the local flora and, consequently, the intentions to conserve it. Therefore, this study aims to analyze whether high school students from Teresina (PI-Brazil) can identify more species of native than exotic plants and the factors that can affect this ability. 333 students from state public schools were interviewed through semi-structured questionnaires and with printed images of 20 species of plants found in the region. The data were analyzed using univariate non-parametric statistics. The results show that living in the countryside positively influenced the identification of local flora, but there was no significant difference in the number of identified plants between students who attended botany classes and those who did not. Two native plants (cashew-96.7% and pitomba-91.9%) and three exotic plants (mango-90.7%, guava-94.9% and acerola-82.0%) stood out among the most identified plant species. It was also found that, for two species of native plants very important for the State of Piauí, the caneleiro (0.6%) and the carnauba (26.7%), the identification rates were scarce. Thus, it is necessary to use Environmental Education and the teaching of Botany to prioritize native plant species, valuing local ecology and ensuring their protection.

Resumo A lenha é um dos mais importantes produtos florestais da região Nordeste do Brasil, e cada vez mais é necessário que sua exploração seja feita de maneira sustentável. Nesse sentido, o manejo florestal tem sido uma proposta de significativa melhoria das características ambientais dessa atividade. Este trabalho teve como objetivo identificar e analisar a atividade de exploração florestal por meio de Planos de Manejo Florestal Sustentável (PMFS) no estado do Piauí. Foram analisados dados de localização e produção, no período de 2010-2015. O diagnóstico dos PMFS do Piauí foi realizado por meio de consulta ao banco de dados da coordenação de licenciamento da Secretaria Estadual de Meio Ambiente e Recursos Hídricos - SEMAR, no período de janeiro a março de 2016. Os 96 PMFS detentores de autorização representaram 117.510,60 hectares de área manejada, em propriedades cujas extensões variaram de 67,60 a 34.208,00 ha, com área manejada por propriedade entre 40,00 e 24.969,00 ha. Os talhões adotados para a exploração anual tiveram dimensões entre 7,50 e 1.945,70 ha. O volume anual autorizado, no período, foi de 1.998.986,20 st/ano. A análise dos planos indica que o estado do Piauí possui capacidade de abastecimento de matriz energética proveniente de material lenhoso oriundo do manejo florestal, e que esta atividade, ainda, resulta em significativo benefício ambiental, pelo potencial de sustentabilidade que apresenta.

Abstract Wood is one of the most important forest products in the northeast of Brazil, and it is increasingly necessary that its exploitation can be carried out in a sustainable way. In this sense, the forest management has been proposing significant improvement of the environmental characteristics of this activity. The objective of this paper was to identify and analyze the activity of forest exploitation through Sustainable Forest Management Plans (PMFS), in the state of Piauí. The localization and the production data analyzed were in the period from 2010 to 2015.The diagnosis of PMFS in Piauí state was carried out by consulting the database of the licensing coordination of the State Department of Environment and Water Resources (SEMAR), from January to March 2016. The 96 PMFS holders of authorization accounted for more than 117.510,60 hectares of managed area, in properties in which extensions ranged from 67.60 to 34,208.00 ha, with an area managed by property between 40.00 and 24,969.00 ha. The plots adopted for the annual exploration had dimensions between 7.50 and 1,945.70 ha. The authorized annual volume in the period was 1,998.986.20 st/year. The analysis of the plans indicates that the state of Piauí has capacity to supply energy matrix from woody material of forest management activities and that this still results in a significant environmental benefit, due to the sustainability potential of the activity.