Agroforestry System in the restoration of degraded areas in the Caatinga biome
Caatinga, forest restoration, semiarid, agroforestry systems, agroforestry
The Caatinga has historically been one of the most degraded biomes in the country, second only to the Atlantic Forest and the Amazon, and one of the main causes of deforestation is extensive agriculture and the firewood and coal industry and the growth of renewable energy areas in the semi-arid region. As an alternative to the hegemonic agricultural model, historically small producers use the Agroforestry System to increase family income and consequently help recover degraded areas. The main objective of the thesis is to verify the efficiency of using an Agroforestry System that has been installed for 23 years, located in the Moacir Lucena Settlement in Apodi-RN, when compared to another fallow area (legal reserve), both originating from anthropized areas in the past. An inventory of both areas was carried out to measure plant diversity, soil collection and analysis to study the physical-chemical characteristics and organic matter, collection and analysis of litter as well as the study of the seed bank of the two areas mentioned. It is expected to conclude that the Agroforestry System has greater potential in recovering environments as it presents better rates of the parameters already mentioned when compared to fallow areas for natural regeneration.