Fernandes-Pinto, E. & Saraiva, N. A.; 2007b.

People and landscapes of the the region of Lenis Maranhenses

(Brazil) environmental perception and local management. Trabalho apresentado na XV International
Conference of the Society for Human Ecology. Rio de Janeiro/RJ, 04 a 07 de outubro de 2007.

PEOPLE AND LANDSCAPES OF THE REGION OF LENIS MARANHENSES (BRAZIL)

ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION AND LOCAL MANAGEMENT
Fernandes-Pinto, rika1 & Saraiva2, Nicholas Allain

1 IBAMA/Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Resources

erikalencois@yahoo.com.br
2 NGO Pivot Maranho nicholas@pivot.org.br
Lenis Maranhenses, a region situated on the eastern coast of the state of Maranho, covers an
area of major ecological importance with a diversity of landscapes, encompassing federal and
state conservation units of sustainable use and overall protection. This rich mosaic of
environments is inhabited by a predominantly rural population connected historically to the
area, supporting itself by combining activities of subsistence farming, artisanal fishing, animal
husbandry, extractivism and handicrafts. This work, which is part of a broader project, aims to
analyze the situation of the municipality of Paulino Neves from the standpoint of the
distribution of the communities in the territory, aspects of their environmental perception, their
classification of the diversity of landscapes, and their usages and management of each
environment. The information was garnered from semistructured interviews with residents and
on field trips carried out in June 2006. The villages of the region are scattered along the banks
of the innumerable rivers, spaced into small family groups devoid of basic infrastructure and
with difficult conditions of access. The local population identified 23 units of variegated
landscapes, ranging from the marine environment and coastal zone to terrestrial, lacustrine and
fluvial areas, known by different local names and also identified by their different types of soil.
The emic classifications and categorizations of the landscapes are based principally on criteria
of the structure and composition of the local vegetation, soil and fauna. The landscape is divided
into natural, managed or altered environments, and there is a strong specificity between the type
of environment and the diverse productive practices. The local population can be seen as
traditional, remaining closely integrated to and intimately familiar with the surrounding
environments, the native fauna and flora, and the ecological cycles, which has ensured the
conservation of significant areas of the distinct ecosystems.