Pioneer

Schizolobium parahyba

Brazilian firetree

The Brazilian firetree is one of the fastest growing trees in the world, reaching 3 meters of growth per year and easily reaching 20 meters in height. Therefore, it is considered a pioneer species in reforestation projects. This tree was used in the manufacturing of caiçara canoes (pronunciation: cais-sa-ra), and today heirs of this culture do what they can to preserve this aspect of their ancestry. On the coasts of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, caiçaras embody the typical European and indigenous miscegenation of Brazil, which retains a unique fishing tradition. The name given to this tree in Brazil, Guapuruvu, means "canoe that comes from the earth" in the Tupi language.

Platycyamus regnellii

Platycyamus regnellii, Pau Pereira

Pau Pereira is a species endemic to southeastern Brazil. During flowering time, it attracts several pollinators, especially bumblebees (Bombus brasiliensis). It fixes nitrogen in the earth and is capable of thriving in degraded and stony soils, which is why it can be considered a pioneer in reforestation projects. The ash from the bark of Pau Pereira is one of two ingredients in the indigenous tobacco called rapé Tsunu, from the Yawanawa people. For millennia, tobacco has been used by people native to Central and South America for spiritual and medicinal purposes. A flask from the Classic Mayan period, for example, was not only found with nicotine residue, but the label in Mayan hieroglyphic text evidences its use for this purpose. This practice was naturally “integrated into the culture of the tribes of the northwestern Amazon”, and beyond. This specimen was acquired from seed guardians in Minas Gerais.

Albizia pedicellaris

Albizia pedicellaris

Albizia pedicellaris seeds grow in pods, and it has been reported that only 4% of them germinate without human intervention. This dormancy has been overcome through scarring, water soaking and even acid immersion. Such processes are worthwhile because this tree is incredibly useful in the restoring of areas damaged by mining, due to its ability to thrive in soaked as well as firm soils, fix nitrogen and grow rapidly – she is a pioneer species. For these reasons, this plant is commonly found in coastal areas of the restinga biome. The restinga biome has a crucial ecological role, as it stabilizes coastal dunes, and as such, prevents the erosion caused by the tides.