Sustainable Harvest of Mangaba (Hancornia speciosa) Fruits in Northern Minas Gerais, Brazil

Sustainable Harvest of Mangaba (Hancornia speciosa) Fruits in Northern Minas Gerais, Brazil. The harvesting of non-timber forest products can contribute to conserving biodiversity and improving quality of life for rural communities. However, overexploitation can generate negative impacts on harvested populations, demanding the establishment of sustainable management practices. We estimated the maximum sustainable harvest of Hancornia speciosa Gomes (Apocynaceae) fruits in a savanna in northern Minas Gerais state, Brazil. The structure and population dynamics were analyzed in 70 permanent plots (20 x 50 m) in the years 2008-2011. A matrix population model based on life stages (seedlings, saplings, adults 1, adults 2) was used to calculate the population growth rate (lambda), the stable stage distribution and the elasticity, and to simulate the effects of different fruit harvesting levels. The population growth rate (lambda) value was 1.02 (CI95% 0.98 to 1.05), the maximum sustainable fruit harvest rate was 87%, and the elasticity analysis indicated that survival of the larger-size adults is the most important parameter to maintain the population. Apparently, the H. speciosa population is stable, which may indicate that the current harvesting level is not affecting population regeneration. However, other natural or anthropic disturbances, such as charcoal production and fire, can increase adult mortality, leading to population decline.