Wesley Wiblin
PBIO 209
19 Feb 08
The Acai Palm
The Acai palm is a type of tree that is a member of the Euterpe genus. The full botanical name is Euterpe Oleracea. The Acai palm can be found in central South America in countries such as Brazil, Peru, and Belize. The palms can grow anywhere from 45-90 ft and have 1-3 ft palm leaves. The most important asset this tree has for humans is the berry it produces, which is the reason why I chose this plant. The Acai palm produces between 700-900 one inch diameter, round, dark purple berries that looks similar to grapes.
Acai Berries not yet harvested on Acai Palm (http://www.holistichealingshop.com/images/Mont/35031_0.jpg)
These Acai berries have become increasingly popular in the United States for their health benefits. For centuries now, the Acai berry has been used by indigenous people of South America for ailments and as a source of health and vitality. Scientific research has only recently discovered the large amount of healthy nutrients in every berry. With an astronomical amount of antioxidants compared to other fruits, such as blueberries and cranberries, the Acai berry has become one of the newest “superfoods” on the market. Not only are the berries important, but the Acai palm can be used for other things as well. The leaves have been used for making hats, baskets, shelters, and brooms by native peoples.
Recently, I have begun to drink Acai juice daily in a concoction known as Monavie because of the health benefits. It is however, quite expensive to purchase Acai juice and before I further invest more money into the plant, I wanted to know more about it and determine whether or not it was worth the money. Here is what I have found.
The Acai palm is found in South American rainforests in the central areas which is known as the Neotropic Biome. The Biome makes up all of South America, but the palm only grows in the central part of the continent. Like most plants found in the Amazon, the Acai palm is in constant growth, continuously having the same season throughout the year. This palm is one of the most abundant trees located throughout the rainforest. Because of the uncommon factors associated with plant life in the Amazon, the Acai palm has not been reproduced successfully in other parts of the world, i.e. Europe and the United States, unless grown in a greenhouse. For that reason, it is impossible for the Acai palm to be or become an invasive species in other parts of the world. Unless huge climate shifts occur in the future, the indigenous species of the Acai palm will stay in the Amazon.
Neotropic Biome. (http://www.scielo.br/img/revistas/ne/v35n4/31318f3.gif)
As previously stated, the connections the Acai palm has with humans is the berry it produces. The Acai berry has become increasingly popular in the industrialized parts of the world for its health benefits. Due to the vast demand of the fruit, a completely new industry has been formed in South America, the harvest and exportation of the Acai berry. A catch, however, is that within 24 hours of the berry being harvested, it starts to lose its nutritional value. This is not a problem for the locals who drink the fresh fruit on a daily basis. This problem has been solved through freeze-drying the berry, within the first 24 hours of harvest.
Scientific research has shown that freeze-dried Acai berries have an ORAC score of over 1,000. Comparatively, blueberries and cranberries have an ORAC score of only 400. It is not difficult to realize that the Acai berry has magnificent health benefits, it is however, more difficult to find a reputable supplier of freeze-dried Acai berry for a decent price.
Antioxidants intercepting harmful free radicals before they can enter the body’s cells. (http://www.acairesource.com/images/photos/freeradicals.jpg)
Wesley Wiblin
PBio 209
06Mar08
The Acai Palm
The Acai Palm is located throughout the Amazon rainforest (Amazon Basin), primarily in the country of Brazil. The Amazon Basin accounts for most of the land mass of Brazil and totals in over 1.2 billion acres across nine different countries in South America (Turner). For centuries, the Acai Palm has been a staple food for the Brazilian people and studies have shown that up to 40% of indigenous cultures’ daily food intake is the Acai berry (Murrieta, 464). Out of the 14 major habitats found across the globe, the Acai berry can be cultivated in only one, the Tropical and Subtropical Moist Broadleaf Forests. Because the Acai Palm can only grow in this environment, it cannot become an invasive species in other areas of the world. Respectively, it is also extremely abundant and grows easily throughout the Amazon, thus, having little to no threats from other plant species. This can be explained because of the frequent floods throughout the basin and the acidic soil type that makes it difficult for other plant species to survive (Muniz-Miret, 164).
The Acai berry, however, has been recently found to have extremely beneficial health properties and has begun to be exported to Western nations like the United States. Although it has been a local favorite for generations in Brazil (usually made as a cold soup with Tapioca), the production and sale has steadily increased in recent years due to U.S. demand, resulting in almost $300 million annual revenue (Muniz-Miret 165).
The Amazon Basin is known throughout the world as the most biodiverse place on the planet. In total, more than 1/3 of the entire world’s species live in the Amazon rainforest, with more than 40,000 different species of plants alone (Lewinshon, 620). Unfortunately, since the 1970’s, it has also been known for the amount of deforestation that it has undergone due to human farming and logging. In addition, the cultivation and sale of the Acai berry may increase the rate of deforestation occurring throughout much of the Amazon. This problem arises in the knowledge that parts of the Amazon rainforest have been cut down to grow crops such as soybeans because of worldwide demand, and one can theorize that this could occur with the Acai Palm.
Although the Acai Palm has no threats against it, it may become threatening to many other plants located throughout the Amazon if widespread destruction of the rainforest occurs in order to create Acai farms. General Rainforest deforestation is also a threat to the Acai palm. With only 80% of the original rainforest left and the continual logging and farming throughout the Amazon, it is only a matter of time before species of plants that only exist in the Amazon Biome, such as the Acai Palm, become extinct (Albert, 442)
The only way to remedy the threat towards the Acai Palm is to dramatically curb the amount of deforestation that occurs throughout much of South America on a large scale; which can be done through the use of international pressure. International pressure placed upon by western countries such as the United States would catalyze local governments to create laws and regulations against deforestation and allow the biome to flourish and eventually grow back to its original size.
An additional way to remedy the problem of rainforest deforestation is to energize the local economy with sustainable farming practices as an economically viable option. The elimination of rainforest deforestation will not occur without the help of local farmers, villagers, and companies. The education of sustainable farming techniques that promote a more synergistic way of living within the environment will be the main goal and will not happen overnight. It will take the work of the many nations and organizations, as well as the local population to eliminate this threat that does not just exist towards the Acai Palm, but towards all plant and animal species throughout the Amazon Basin.
Bibliography
- Schauss, G, Alexander. 2007. Your Source for acai product reviews and research on the acai berry fruit. [Internet]. [Cited 2008 Feb 19]. Available from: http://www.acaibreakthrough.com/acai-research/dr-alex-schauss/
- Albert, James. Eternal Vigilance on an Amazon Floodplain. Current Biology. 12 (13): 442-443
- Butler, Rhett. Brazilian National Institute of Space Research. United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. 2006
- Lewinsohn, Thomas M.; Paulo Inácio Prado (June 2005). How Many Species Are There in Brazil? Conservation Biology 19 (3): 619-624
- Muniz-Miret, Nuria. The Economic Value of Managing the Floodplain. Forest Ecology and Management. 87 (1996) 163-173
- Murrieta, Rui Sergio. Food consumption and subsistence in three Caboclo populations in Marajo Island, Amazonia, Brazil. Human Ecology: An interdisciplinary Journal. 27 (3): 455
- Turner, I.M. 2001. The ecology of trees in the tropical rain forest. Cambridge University.
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