Caiçara Communities of the Southeastern Coast of São Paulo State (Brazil): Traditional Activities and Conservation Policy for the Atlantic Rain Forest

This paper addresses the traditional resource use by Caicara communities, their means of subsistence and the critical aspects related to their survival within a restrictive protected area — the Estacao Ecologica de Jureia-Itatins (EEJI). This study is based on historical and social data and its approach is ethnographic and ethnoecological. Caicara communities descend from the intermarriage of Portuguese colonists, Indian populations and African slaves. Traditional activities linked to the ecological calendars are analyzed within economic and environmental policy contexts. The response of Caicara subsistence economy to external changes is also appraised. The EEJI is located on the southeastern coast of Sao Paulo State and is covered by the Atlantic Rain Forest. This forest is a severely endangered tropical and subtropical ecosystem, due to 500 years of demographic and urban growth. Knowledge of the historical background and the comprehension of the Caicara resource and land use practices should be integrated to policies of preservation of the Atlantic Rain Forest and, particularly to EEJI management plans.