A bananicultura na área de proteção ambiental da Serra de Maranguape-CE e suas implicações no ambiente físico, humano e na biodiversidade.

Abstract

The serra de Maranguape is a pre-litoral residual mountain, located 25 km from Fortaleza, with a maximum altitude of 920 m. The type of vegetation of this mountain range is called Floresta Tropical Subperenifólia Plúvio-Nebular and constitutes a remnant of the Atlantic Forest. The few studies on the biological diversity of the serra de Maranguape already carried through, indicate a biota distinct from the one presented in the surrounding caatinga, and the presence of species of the Atlantic and Amazonian Forests. The mild temperature and the high humidity favor the agricultural use of this mountain range, and currently, the banana culture is in evidence not only for supplying the Fortaleza market, but also for causing environment problems, as landslides, impoverishment of the soil, burial of rivers and reduction of the biodiversity. In order to investigate the effect of the banana culture on the local herpetofauna, it was compared the diversity and abundance of these animals in Areas of Permanent Preservation with forest and with banana plantations. The species were registered according to the visual survey method (specimens/time), and 18 species were registered for the banana plantations areas: Adelophryne maranguapensis, Anolis fuscoauratus, Bufo paracnemis, Coleodactylus meridionalis, Drymoluber dichrous, Eleutherodactylus gr. ramagii, Hyla aff. decipiens, H. gr. microcephala, H. minuta, H. raniceps, Leposoma baturitensis, Leptodactylus ocellatus, Phrynohyas venulosa, Phyllomedusa hypochondrialis, Physalaemus gr. cuvieri, Placosoma sp., Proceratophris boiei and Scinax x-signata, while the forest areas had only 12 of these species. Only Adelophryne maranguapensis, Eleutherodactylus gr.. ramagii and Hyla aff decipiens were found in every worked month. During the driest months, the relative densities of the species, with the exception of E. gr. ramagii, seemed to be bigger in the forest areas than in the banana plantations areas, indicating that the forest areas can represent a refuge, during the dry periods, for the populations that, in the rainy periods, occur in the banana plantations areas. Therefore, the maintenance of the native forest can be essential for the conservation of these herpetofauna populations. The herpetofauna diversity of the banana plantations areas and of the forest areas were compared with the use of the index of Shannon-Wiener, and no significant difference was found. It was also discussed alternatives to the traditional banana culture, aiming to contribute to the prevention and/or reversion of the environment problems caused by the irregular culture of banana plants in the hillsides and edges of rivers. On the alternatives, agroforest system seemed to be a good solution, as it has been implanted in banana plantations in mountain areas of South Brasil, and has contributed to the reduction of the landslides and to the increase of the soil fertility and of the local shadowing. The agroforest system has being used even in reforestation and it also promotes the diversification of the agricultural production, which is desirable when it is wanted to solve problems resulted from monoculture practices. It was also investigated the banana growers knowledge on the environment problems and their social-economic condition, having been registered that many of them do not have a formal education and were unaware of the gravity of the consequences of the banana culture in this mountain range, as well as the authority of the environmental agencies and the application of the environmental laws. The majority of the banana growers never worked in something else, although they have parallel activities, and many of them work in precarious conditions, without working guarantees.