Pau brasil  (Caesalpinia echinata)

In the past, the pau brasil was an extremely important source of red dye, a trade that began in the 1500s (1). The use of synthetic dyes only became widespread in the late 19th Century, by which time the natural stands of Brazil's national tree had been all but destroyed (1). The wood is a hard and durable timber, and has been in demand for construction over the centuries (3). Today, the main threat facing this species is its exportation for the manufacture of high-quality violin bows (2). This tree is the main source of professional bows worldwide, and it is estimated that a single violin bow, which may cost up to $ 5,000, requires 1 kg of wood (5). Brazil's Atlantic forest is an extremely threatened habitat, and has now been reduced to less than 5% of its original cover (4).

The country of Brazil was named after the 'brasileiros' who originally collected the dyewood of this tree, and the pau brasil has an important place in the history and culture of the country. This species is included in the official list of threatened Brazilian plants by the Brazilian Institute of Natural Resources (IBAMA) (1)(7), and there are various laws restricting the export and cutting of the pau brasil, although these are often poorly enforced (5). Two protected areas were set up in Bahia and Pernambuco in order to preserve populations of pau brasil in these regions (5). Fauna and Flora International (FFI) have launched a SoundWood programme as part of their Global Trees Campaign in order to raise awareness of the issues surrounding the demand for hardwoods for musical instruments (4). They are working closely with a local Brazilian NGO, known as Amainan Brasil (6), which is running environmental education programmes in schools in the Atlantic Forest region and is investigating the distribution of this tree in Rio State (4). Such a historic tree may act as an important 'flagship' species for the protection of Brazil's precious Atlantic Forest.