The occupation of the Brazilian coastline has increased greatly over the past decades, leading to urbanization of areas previously occupied by traditional populations. This study aimed to investigate the ethnobotanical knowledge of restinga species of members of the local community of Azorean descendents living in the Campeche District (Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil), an area suffering from an accelerated process of urbanization. We selected informants through purposive sampling and we did 15 interviews with native residents from 42 to 84 years old. The native residents that experienced the past rural reality in the area have ethnobotanical knowledge of restinga plants related to times gone by, when many species were used for their maintenance and survival, but they are also increasing this knowledge with plants currently in use, mainly in the medicinal category. From the rural past to the urban present, use frequency of cited plants decreased considerably, which may cause a loss of ethnobotanical knowledge among future generations. Ethnobotanical research in changing areas contributes to the valorization of local cultures and can attach cultural value to restinga vegetation, thus contributing to the conservation of this ecosystem.
Coastal areas; Azorean descendents; cultural dynamics
