USES OF FIRE IN THE QUILOMBOLA KALUNGA TERRITORY: PRACTICES AND PERCEPTIONS
Palavras Chave em Inglês: Brazilian savanna; controlled burning; local perception; traditional ecological Knowledge;
quilombolas.
The traditional practices of fire use by Quilombola communities are poorly documented in the literature. In this study, we aim
to describe the fire-use practices among the Kalunga Quilombola communities. We seek to document the timing of fire use for
slash-and-burn agriculture and cattle grazing and also identify, based on Kalunga perceptions, the main external factors
influencing controlled burns, such as climate changes and changes in land use in the Cerrado region. The study was conductedin four regions within the Kalunga Quilombola Territory (TQK), namely Vão de Almas, Vão do Moleque, Prata, and Engenho. For field data collection, in-depth interviews were conducted with residents who use fire in their traditional practices and some Prevfogo/Ibama firefighters operating in the Territory. Additionally, guided tours were conducted to identify and describe productive areas. Among the interviewees, all use fire in their productive practices, but there are changes in the timing of controlled burns for productive purposes. The Kalunga people have noticed changes in vegetation and alterations in the hydrological cycle, which influence the use of fire for productive practices. The changes in rainfall seasons perceived by the interviewees were corroborated with climatic data from the region. When describing the reasons for changes in vegetation, there are variations in responses, so it is not clear to all Kalunga what factors truly cause these changes; however, large monoculture plantations in the Cerrado have been impacting the flow of groundwater and surface water in a way that can bring alterations to native vegetation. This research contributes by emphasizing the importance of incorporating local perceptions into territorial management, as well as taking a closer look at the use of fire as a land management tool and exploring the potential impacts of changes over time on traditional fire-use practices.