Agroforestry homesteads from the perspective of the community members of the Uatumã Sustainable Development Reserve, Amazonas, Brazil

Abstract

The aim of this study was to describe the main characteristics of the agroforestry homesteads of the communities Bela Vista, Maracarana, São Benedito and Manain located in the Uatumã Sustainable Development Reserve, in the state of Amazonas, Brazil. A total of 55 homesteads were randomly selected and characterized in the four communities where semi-structured interviews and guided tours were conducted with the residents to collect socioeconomic information and information regarding the contribution of these agroecosystems to the community. The management of the homesteads is simple and low cost, since it involves traditional practices of plant cultivation and the main purpose of the homesteads in the Maracarana and Manain communities is to provide food supplies for family units, and sale of their production at markets. Thus, it can be stated that the agroforestry homesteads of the communities of the Uatumã Sustainable Development Reserve are a production system for consumption by the family and for income, which contribute to the food security of the local population, help improve the productive capacity of the land and favor the protection of the environment, but have variable dimensions and understandings, which can change according to the family, and may eventually enter the surrounding forest.