The main source of income for the residents is sale of latex (rubber) extracted using traditional methods.

Given the very low income from extraction, residents may turn to illegal logging, farming and livestock husbandry.

Aquariquara Extractive Reserve was created by state decree 7.106 of 4 September 1995 with an area of 18,100 hectares (45,000 acres).

[4] The decree recognised that the great pressures of predatory activities on areas occupied by the traditional people of the forest were causing irreversible loss of plant and wildlife resources, and were exacerbating social conflicts and degrading the quality of life of the forest residents.

[6] In April 2015 members of the association met with the Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development of the state legislature.

A project to manufacture and market babaçu (Attalea speciosa) flour had been started in 1998, with considerable success, with the output sold to schools and stores in Machadinho.

[8][a] Due to the large effort and low economic value of sustainable rubber extraction, residents turn to other activities such as logging, agriculture and raising livestock.

The area is divided into 500 hectares (1,200 acres) lots, each explored for one year, giving a predicted 20-year cycle.

Residents are involved in the forest inventory, identifying trees of each species to be harvested, and help open and demarcate the tracks for forestry.