SUSTAINABLE MEASURES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF EUTERPE EDULIS AVOID THE PROCESS OF EXTINCTION OF THE PALM TREE

Abstract

The exploitation of the palm tree or juçara (Euterpe edulis Mart.), due to the uncontrolled extraction of the heart of palm for fresh consumption and industrialization of preserves, resulted in a significant decrease in the seed bank of the species and its inclusion in the list of species at risk of extinction. Euterpe edulis plays a key role in the Atlantic Forest, as it requires a period of six to nine years to generate seeds. The practice of extracting hearts of palm from young plants that have not yet flowered or fruited interrupts the complete reproductive cycle of the tree. Therefore, the objective was to generate information on sustainable management of preventive practices of the species that can be applied in favor of improvements for conscious extraction avoiding its extinction. It was concluded that the correct handling of the palm tree, with the objective of producing fruits for the extraction of the pulp, is the most interesting production than removing the palm heart, since its cutting, in addition to exerting a negative effect on the most varied species of fauna, leads to the death of the plant after the incision of the strain.