The accelerated process of environmental degradation in the São Francisco Drainage Basin (BHSF) has generated a high demand for seeds destined to the production of plant propagules. However there is no information about the commercial value of the diaspores of forest species which occur in the BHSF. The objective of this study is to propose a system to evaluate the worthiness of the kilogram of seeds for 22 plant species of the Caatinga, based in the following parameters: geographic distribution, endemism, level of threat, functional group, processing, collection effort, classification of seeds and number of seeds per kilogram. Field studies were conducted in five municipalities of the the region of the central valley of the São Francisco River and on five islands located in the main channel of the São Francisco River, from August 2007 to September 2008. The prices calculated using our system varied from R$ 10.00 for Syagrus coronata Mart. Becc. (Arecaceae) and R$ 44.15 for Handroanthus spongiosus (Rizzini) S.O.Grose (Bignoniaceae). From a 50% cut percentage in a cluster multivariate analysis we identified the occurrence of three groups: a group with seeds of lesser commercial value (average value of R$ 18.80.Kg-1), a second group with intermediate commercial value (R$ 28.21.Kg-1) and a third group with seeds of higher commercial value (R$ 32.85.Kg-1). We hope that this study will contribute to the process of conservation and ecological restoration of Caatinga, and also to the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the local population from the commercialization of these seeds.

This work aimed to evaluate the effect of cut height on jurema-preta control. Thus, two trials were carried out, one in September 15th and other in December 15th of 1997. The experimental area had 1,400 m². Treatments were the height cuts of 25; 50; 75 and 100 cm from the soil. Evaluations were done when more than half of plants were showing 50% of their regrowth with a diameter of 0.7 cm. The experimental design was in randomized blocks with split-plot, being the height cut the parcel and the cut the sub-parcel. In the first trial and at the end of the 3rd cut, the higher mortality of 84.6% was found among plants cut at 75 cm and the higher number of regrowth was observed in plants cut at 100 cm, but the stem diameter was not affected by treatments. In the second trial and at the end of the 3rd cut, the higher mortality of 50% was found among plants cut at 100 cm and the other variables were not affected by cut height. The control of jurema-preta may be done in September, cutting the plants at 75 or 100 cm from the soil and always cutting the regrowth plants when they reach 0.7 cm of diameter. The jurema-preta control by standardization cut in December was inefficient regardless the cut height.

Phylogeography has become a powerful approach for elucidating contemporary geographical patterns of evolutionary subdivision within species and species complexes. The aim of this paper was to evaluate the extracted quality of DNA and amplification of noncoding chloroplast DNA for phylogeography studies in Ficus bonijesulapens. The comparative analysis of protocol DNA extraction was based in the CTAB method and protocol from Mogg and Bond. DNA samples were assessed for successful PCR amplification of universal primers for the amplification of noncoding regions of cpDNA. Amplified DNA was separated by electrophoresis, stained with ethidium bromide and photographed under UV light. The protocol Moog e Bond produced the best DNA quality. This method will be used because it produces a high quality DNA in a short time and is less expensive. The primers HA, SG, BF, Q16, F32, FV, DT, CS and JA provided the strongest support for the inferred phylogeography, genetic diversity centers and for successful management in tree-conservation programmes.