Andiroba (Carapa Procera Aubl) belongs to the Meliaceae family and is a plant of great importance for the traditional medicine in the Amazon. Also, the oil obtained from its seeds is widely used in the cosmetics industry. The following study was carried out at the Tropical Silviculture Experimental Station of the National Institute of Amazon Research (EEST/INPA), where the growth of andiroba seedlings was evaluated using three types of substrates which received daily irrigation, according to the following treatments: T1 = sand/clay; T2 = clay/organic fertilizer and T3 = forest topsoil. The following data were collected monthly: height, neck diameter, and number of leaves. The results showed a non-significant difference with a t-test at a p-value of 0.05 for seedling height. For neck diameter, there was a significant difference, especially in T2 and T3, which presented higher average values, indicating that the use of both commercial organic fertilizer and forest soil which particularly has a high concentration of decomposing organic matter, are beneficial to seedling growth. However, the usage of forest topsoil as a substrate must be taken carefully due to the large amount needed that may harm local ecosystem. Therefore, seedling production with organic substrates is a viable alternative for local producers disposed to produce better quality seedlings.

The historical reciprocity among traditional populations and the usage of biodiversity in natural environments have outlined the Amazon as one of the richest and most complex socio-ecological systems on the planet. Conservation Units (CU's) are effective strategies to protect biodiversity, although the simple creation does not guarantee its efficiency. Conservation depends on the integration between ecological and social aspects of the forest peoples and the management of institutions involved with the use and protection of biodiversity and environment. In this context, Non-Timber Forest Products (NFTPs) are important elements in the culture and subsistence of traditional populations and can represent significant sources of income. Specifically, the açaí palm (Euterpe precatoria) is one of the species that stands out in the Amazon, with high cultural and economic values. Given the importance of the species, this research was carried out using traditional knowledge associated with this palm tree, along with residents of three communities of the RDS Piagaçu Purus, to identify and evaluate the uses of parts of the plant of greatest interest to local communities. Within a two-months period, in 2006, information on the diversity of uses and knowledge of the species were collected. It was applied the method of qualitative-quantitative exploratory research, surveying primary and secondary information. The results showed the great potential of açaí usage, especially the fruit, which is consumed in the form of wine and the root, in popular medicine, indicating that the species is a key resource for families subsistence besides its high economic and social potential.

This study aimed to updatethe açaí (E. precatoria Mart.and E. Oleraceae) fruit economic profile using secondary data. According with secondary data analyzed, Brazilian total production (1,621,034 tons in 2019) and production value (R$ 3,615,468.00 in 2019) have been growing steadily with upward trend in the last years, pushing prices to rise. Cultivated açaí has been consolidated as the major productive system in Amazonas, with 60.7% of total state production, according to IBGE. Fruit origin has also been changing more recently, with Amazonas state remaining in second position with 111,612 tons and R$ 195,924.00 worth production in 2019, sharing 20.9% of Brazilian extractive açaí production. I. II. BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REVIEW Genus and species descriptionThe Euterpe genus (Arecaceae) is composed of native tropical palm species abundantly distributed in South and Central America (Andrew Henderson & Galeano, 1996;