Conservation of wild food plants from wood exploitation: evidence supporting the protection hypothesis in Northeastern Brazil

Abstract Background The interplay between different uses of woody plants remains underexplored, obscuring our understanding of how a plant's value for one purpose might shield it from other, more harmful uses. This study examines the protection hypothesis by determining if food uses can protect woody plants from wood exploitation. We approached the hypothesis from two distinct perspectives: 1) the protective effect is proportional to the intensity of a species' use for food purposes, and 2) the protective effect only targets key species for food purposes.Methods The research was conducted in a rural community within Restinga vegetation in Northeast Brazil. During a participatory workshop, we pinpointed three food species vital for both consumption and income (key species), along with their natural occurrence and collection areas. A floristic survey in three distinct areas identified additional species coexisting with the key species. Using a field herbarium and species photographs as visual stimuli, participants assessed the species for wood quality, perceived availability, and usage. We employed Cumulative Link Mixed Models (CLMMs) to evaluate the hypotheses “the food uses (specialized) protect plants from wood exploitation (generalist)” from two different perspectives (generalized protection and protection targeted at key species).Results Findings suggest there is no proportional protective effect from food uses across species. However, domestic food use of key species exhibited a marked protective effect. Perceived availability and utility emerged as notable predictors for wood exploitation.Conclusion We advocate for biocultural conservation strategies that enhance the food value of plants for their safeguarding, coupled with measures for non-edible woody species under higher use-pressure.