Viviane Kraieski de Assunção

Interação entre Avifauna e Euterpe edulis Mart. (Arecaceae) na Mata Atlântica do Sul do Brasil

Considering the importance of interaction among Euterpe edulis Mart. and frugivorous birds, in this study, we sought to understand the hunting situation and the ecological interactions of the avifauna with Euterpe edulis Mart. in a conservation unit with integral protection in the south of Santa Catarina, through ethnoecological research with the rural community living in the surroundings of the unit. The research was conducted during the month of July 2016, when semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight residents in the vicinity of the park. There were 10 species of birds that were hunted in the area and eight that consume the fruits of the palm tree, six of which have already been described in the literature. The species of large birds, considered the main seed dispersers of the palmiteiro, were the main targets of the hunting of the colonizers for feeding and the reduction of the populations of these species brings important alterations in the dispersion of the seeds of E. edulis, being able to lead the reduction of the recruitment as well as significant genetic changes for the future populations of the species.