This work was carried out at the gallery forest on the Navio stream, at Floresta (8º35'60"S; 38º34'05"W), Pernambuco, northeast Brazil. We aimed to (a) estimate the use-value of woody plants used by the local community, and to (b) relate species use-value to phytosociological parameters, as assessed from data obtained in 16 plots (20×30 m each), located in the five best preserved forest fragments. The local inhabitants who were more knowledgeable on plants and their use were considered key-informants and other inhabitants were considered as members of the community. Plants were classified according to eight categories of use: domestic construction; rural construction; medicinal purposes; food for human consumption; forage; technology; fuel; and other non-timber-related uses. There was a more widespread knowledge on the use of species for forage and timber. The local vegetation featured Ziziphus joazeiro Mart., Crataeva tapia L., Lonchocarpus sericeus (Poir.) DC., Tabebuia aurea (Silva Manso) Benth. & Hook. F. ex S. Moore, Geoffroea spinosa Jacq., Schnopsis brasiliensis Engl., Sapindus saponaria L., Albizia inundata (Mart.) Barneby & Grimes and Triplaris gardneriana Wedd. The local key-informants and the community in general attributed uses to 34 species. Those which were singled out as having the greatest use value were: T. aurea, with 6.44 for the local key-informants and 4.10 for the community in general; Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Benan. var. cebil (Griseb) Altschul., 4.81 for the local key-informants and 3.53 for the community in general; and S. brasiliensis, 4.25 for the key-informants and 4.47 for the local community in general. The estimated phytosociological parameters did not show any correlation with the use-values attributed to the species. The importance of the gallery forest has been highlighted not only because it conserves water resources and meets the needs of the local community, but also because it guarantees the perpetuation of species which are restricted to such habitats.
caatinga; ethnobotany; phytosociology; gallery forest; use-value
