ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION OF BRYOPHYTES IN NEIGHBORHOODS OF THE MUNICIPALITY OF HUMAITÁ, AMAZONAS

Abstract

Bryophytes are avascular plants that need water to fertilize, and can be found in the most diverse substrates. The Amazon encompasses one of the largest tropical forests, which has a hot and humid climate, thus creating a favorable environment for the propagation of bryophytes, therefore, this work aimed to verify the perception of residents about bryophytes in the municipality of Humaitá-AM. The project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Federal University of Amazonas – CEP/UFAM, with the CAAE number 14931319.4.0000.5020, where six most populous neighborhoods of Humaitá were selected, in which the criteria for the selection of informants consisted in those Residents who have lived in the neighborhood for at least five years and over 18 years of age. During these interviews, information was obtained on the socioeconomic profile of residents, covering socioeconomic issues, in addition to their perception of the importance of bryophyte species. It was found that of the 54 interviewees, 95% did not know how to correctly name the term “bryophytes”, they only had empirical knowledge about the species, citing them as grass, pests and that it would be a parasite that propagated in trees. In addition, 75% of respondents mentioned it as a remedy, however, they did not delve into the subject, that is, they did not know how to explain the values of the importance that bryophytes provide to the environment. It is concluded that during the work there were problems, such as resistance in some interviews by the residents, this is to be expected, because when working with interviews, there is a certain fear of the population in talking about a subject in which they had no knowledge about bryophytes, the that led to the fear of answering wrongly. It was observed that the population of Humaitá does not use bryophytes as a medicinal plant nor for other uses, even so, the interviewees generally demonstrated to have an idea of their importance for the environment and society. This will greatly contribute to future studies, which will deepen the importance of raising awareness for the conservation of bryophytes in the municipality of Humaitá and the improvement of our ecosystem.