The objective of this research was to select multipurpose arboreal ideotypes for use in silvipastoral systems. Selection of ideotypes was based on ethnobotanical information from riverside communities of Lower Amazon river floodplains, in Pará. Since these areas had been impacted by agriculture followed by ranching, the silvipastoral systems are considered viable alternatives for recuperating them. Through participatory research among the riverside inhabitants, a semi-structured questionnaire was used to determine the tree species of greatest importance to those populations, with focus on their purpose and forms of use, consumer destination and abundance in the communities studied. The forest species of interest to riverside people are most often fruit-producing species for human and animal food, followed by those for timber. The great majority of these species are employed internally on the property. They do not generate surplus products and were considered by the interviewees to be “greatly" abundant in the region.
Multipurpose forest species; floodplains; riverside population
