Hi Cambucá Lovers,
Here's an awesome article on the preservation of Cambucá Make sure to watch the vid http://g1.globo.com/economia/agronegocios/vida-rural/noticia/2013/02/biologos-trabalham-para-preservar-o-cambuca-na-regiao-serrana-do-rj.htmlI translated the article so that everyone, can read the article
Biologists are working to preserve the cambucá in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro.Tree with a rounded canopy and strong branched/trunked is native to the Atlantic Forest.
Deforestation has put the species at risk of extinction.
Biologists of the Cambucás Project was developed in Rio de Janeiro, with the intent of preserving this majestic specie, with the rounded canopy and strong branched that is native to the Atlantic Forest. Manmade deforestation, puts the fruit tree in danger of extinction. The long time before coming into production, makes the cambucá a non commercial fruit, which aggravates the problem. The first fruits begin to appear by the age of 15 and 18 years old.
A survey conducted by the biologist Fabian Correa, coordinator of the Project Cambucás in Cantagalo, in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro, showed that there are eight specimens of the tree on private land, in the rural area and nearby areas. On a farm in the region, which is from 19th century, has only two cambucá trees.
The project coordinator says that the goal is to increase the number of trees. "One of the ideas of the project is to rescue the cambucá's that are present in backyards, so that we will have more and more locations with the this tree...farms and backyards with cambucá" says Fabian.
The cambucá is in the same family as Jabuticaba and there are several common features between the two. One being the slow growth. In areas of dense forest, the cambucá tree can reach 10m/33ft tall, but the size of the tree is a bit smaller when cultivated in orchards. Each fruit has a single seed and germination takes about 40 to one hundred days, after the seed has been planted. The first fruits begin to appear when the tree is about 15 or 18 years old. The fruits appear generally in the months of December and January, but some trees bloom later.
Eating the fruit little known and is becoming a privilege for those who have the opportunity to experience the cambucá fruit. Besides being tasty, the fruit is very important for the ecological balance. According to experts, many species feed on cambucá.
The owner of a site, Thaís Campanate says that she has taken special care not to let the tree die. She also supports the project and says that she has planted more trees on site. In 12 years, many people were part of the group fighting to not let the cambucazeiros(Cambucá trees) to disappear from the region. The idea has also turned into a book for children, which reinforces the importance of preserving this relic from nature. The project inspired José Guilherme, who accompanied the start of the project, who then choose to become a environmental technician.