GEO Brasil - UNEP

Direct and uncontrolled exportation
of medicinal plants are also a factor
that threaten the Brazilian flora
Similarly to world trends, the Brazilian
market of phyto-therapeutics is also
in expansion It is estimated that, in
1994, the phyto-therapeutics market
generated an amount of US$ 355
million in Brazil (Ferreira 1998) The
World Health Organization (WHO)
estimates that around 20,000 species
of superior plants are used as
medicine all over the world
(Phillipson 1994), with a global
generation of around 20 billion
Dollars a year More than two thirds
of species used are native, mainly
from tropical forests (Franz 1993)
The growth in the use of natural
plants/products with medicinal
purposes results, most of the time,
in predatory exploitation of natural
resources According to IBAMA/SP,
in the Ribeira valley alone, around 400
tons of green leaves are extracted,
probably collected from native
species (Garcia et al 2000) Among
the most explored native plants in the
region one can find the espinheirasanta
herb(Maytenus ilicifolia), pata
de vaca (Bauhinia forficata), carqueja
(Baccharis trimera), guaco (Mikania
glomerata) and verbanacea herb
(Cordia verbenacea) (Reis 1996)
establishment of a numerous and
varied group of exotic species (Annex
3) One of the few evident aspects is
that intentional human action,
including governmental, was
responsible for many of these
introductions
The introduction of exotic species in
Brazil dates from the first century of
European colonization, but has
intensified significantly with
globalisation at the end of the 20 th
century The explosive growth of
international trade and tourism,
coupled with rapid development of
transportation, increased considerably
the artificial transit of species, as an
example of what already occurs
throughout the world (Convention of
Biological Diversity - Subsidiary Body
on Scientific, Technical and
Technological Advice 2001) According
to GEO document – Environmental
Statistics for Latin America and the
Carribean, between 1980 and 1995,
international commerce grew 150
percent in Brazil, in which the extensive
network of roads, ports and airports
was the main South American door
to the rest of the world
Data regarding agricultural pests,
which are among the most complete,
indicated an increase in risk of
invasion by exotic species in Brazil
The number of plagues introduced in
Brazil increased by 170 percent in
relation to 1995 In a recent revision of
the Official List by the Committee for
Vegetation Health from Conesul
(Cosave), the technical-scientific team
for the sanitation area of Mercosur,
researchers from Cenargen
discovered that since the Brazilian list
was elaborated in 1995, insects alone
increased more than 100 percent Of a
total of 280 plagues, the list had 102
species of insects listed and now has
340, with a possibility of increasing to
500 species, including fungi, virus,
bacteria, nematodes and acarids
(Radiobrás 2001)
The Department of Sanitation listed
another 63 species and varieties at a
high risk of invasion in the Brazilian
territory Normative instruction n o 38,
from October 14, 1999, of the
Secretariat of agriculture and cattle -
ranching Defense, list plagues
quarantined for Brazil and gives
maximum alert against the ones
considered high potential risk The
the state of the environment in Brazil
The introduction of exotic species is
another relevant environmental
problem in Brazil, with mechanisms
and consequences that are totally
unknown Biological invasions are
badly documented and knowledge
about its consequences is still
incipient Even so, a simple list of most
known cases demonstrates that the
country offers conditions for the
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