The “pau-brasil” (Paubrasilia echinata) is the symbol of Brazil, one of the rarest trees in the Atlantic Forest and unfortunately threatened with extinction. Over the last 500 years, it has almost disappeared due to excessive exploitation of wood for construction, but mainly due to the presence of a chemical substance contained in the wood called “brasilina” that was used in the textile industry and large-scale deforestation.

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How to recognize a pau-brasil tree? It's easy! It's a tree, usually medium-sized, but it can reach up to 30 meters in height. The trunk has grayish bark and irregular reddish-brown plates. The wood is very hard and heavy, with a color ranging from orange-brown to intense red, which is attributed to the chemical compound brazilin. The leaves are dark green and the flowers are yellow, but one of the petals has a reddish spot and they are very fragrant! The fruits are dry and contain between one and two brown seeds. It occurs from the Southeast to the Northeast of Brazil in low-lying forests and on the coastal plain, except in the state of Bahia, where it expands to inland forests. Although restricted to the Atlantic Forest, it is believed that in the past it had a wider distribution along the Brazilian coast.

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According to historical research, brazilwood was the preferred wood for firewood among the native peoples who lived in the Atlantic Forest thousands of years before the arrival of Portuguese sailors. It was traditionally known as “Ibirapitanga”, which sounds quite nice, doesn’t it? Do you know what it means? “pau-de-tinta” (tinkwood)! In other words, they were the ones who informed the Portuguese, French and Dutch about the existence of this valuable tree! For this reason, pau-brasil was widely exploited as a dye wood (from the 16th to the 19th century) and later, from the 18th century onwards, for making bows and musical instruments. Such was the importance of trade during the colonial period that the species lent its name to the country, in addition to revolutionizing the art of painting and music.

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The conversion of natural forest vegetation to urban, commercial, agricultural, and mining areas, among others, has restricted natural populations to surviving in fragments. The situation is aggravated by illegal and targeted logging of mature trees to supply wood for the production of violin, cello, and viola bows. All of these threats increase the risk of extinction of the species because they cause genetic isolation of populations and degrade and unbalance the forests.

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Currently, the vast majority of pau-brasil populations are located in protected areas, such as natural parks, but the reality of these institutions in Brazil is heterogeneous: some protected areas carry out conservation actions for environmental education, monitoring and restoration of degraded forests, but others do not have the minimum structure or adequate resources to carry out management and monitoring actions. Even with trade regulated by international and national institutions, brazilwood trafficking continues to occur and part of the trade is still supplied with illegal timber. On the other hand, there are already initiatives investing in experimental plantations with the aim of enabling the sustainable use of brazilwood and other native species of the Atlantic Forest, an essential strategy for maintaining the music industry. In addition, it is worth highlighting the incentive for the use of pau-brasil in urban landscaping in Brazilian cities.

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For decades, science has been an important ally in the preservation of brazilwood. Although still unsatisfactory, the scientific knowledge produced in recent years has been crucial in locating and mapping forest fragments with surviving populations and in more realistically assessing the species' risk of extinction. Advances have also been made in obtaining data on the reproductive system, genetic diversity and structure of populations under natural conditions. In other words, to a certain extent, there is already a scientific framework that can help indicate protection measures, commercial production and management.

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The “pau-brasil” is a representative of one of the largest and most diverse plant families on the planet - Legumes, with around 22,000 species. Its richness in the composition of tropical biomes, especially forests and fields, is significant, and for this reason, it has been one of the most important food resources since the establishment of the first populations of Homo sapiens on the American continent. Like the ceibo (Erythrina crista-galli), the flower of Uruguay, pau-brasil is a legume with a strong symbolic meaning of national identity. They are examples of “flagship species” used to promote conservation actions of species that have become cultural heritage. Preserving tropical forests, the habitat of ceibo and pau-brasil is closely linked to the survival of man on a healthy and sustainable planet!

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Despite the great historical and cultural relevance of pau-brasil, there is still little awareness and little mobilization regarding the urgent need to conserve such a symbolic and endangered species. The dialogue between “pau-brasil and the arts” is a promising path to reveal new sensibilities and seek a more comprehensive language of communication to warn against the practices that have brought pau-brasil to the brink of extinction.

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Haroldo Cavalcante de Lima

Diretoria de Pesquisas, Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro

 

Patrícia da Rosa

Programa de Pós-graduação em Botânica, Escola Nacional de Botânica Tropical, Instituto de Pesquisas Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro

Herbarium Bradeanum, Departamento de Biologia Vegetal, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcantara Gomes, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro

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