Tabarelli Marcelo, Leal Inara R, Lopes Ariadna V, Canassa Nathalia, Araujo Helder F P
Department of Botany, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil.
Postgraduate Program of Biological Sciences-Zoology, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, João Pessoa, Brazil.
Conserv Biol. 2025 Jun;39(3):e70030. doi: 10.1111/cobi.70030.
The Caatinga dry forest in northeastern Brazil represents one of the most species-rich dry forests globally. It is densely populated, contains economically undeveloped areas, and harbors increasingly degraded irreplaceable biota. In response to human disturbance, forests have been replaced by shrubs, and desertification is expanding. Seedling recruitment is reduced, and a subset of woody plant species have resprouted, comprising most of the new growth. The proliferation of low-statured individuals of disturbance-adapted species depletes the forest's capacity to retain biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services of local and global relevance. Such widespread habitat degradation is a key driver of species extinction; 111 vertebrate species are already threatened. Conservation plans are available for these vertebrates and 6 Cactaceae species, but only a handful of initiatives involving local stakeholders (e.g., traditional communities) have been implemented. The mascotization of threatened species has been the main approach to achieve several conservation goals, including the provision of new economic opportunities for locals, particularly via ecotourism. Unfortunately, Caatinga initiatives focused on reconciling biodiversity conservation with sustainable development and poverty alleviation are still tied to the concept of better practices in support of intense forest exploitation and extractivism rather than promoting crop and livestock production via modern technologies. Reducing or eliminating forest extractivism is a precondition to spare old-growth forests and thus maintain irreplaceable ecosystem services, such as soil protection, microclimate control, groundwater recharge, and high-quality habitat for threatened species. The persistence of these services (rather than the provision of forest products) is of strategic relevance because drylands are subject to higher aridity associated with climate change. We propose multifunctional agricultural landscapes be implemented to promote rural sustainable development. These landscapes should include high forest cover, forest integrity, and soil multifunctionality, all of which would provide key ecosystem services and biodiversity persistence.
巴西东北部的卡廷加干燥森林是全球物种最为丰富的干燥森林之一。这里人口密集，有经济欠发达地区，且拥有日益退化的不可替代的生物群。由于人类干扰，森林已被灌木取代，沙漠化正在扩大。幼苗更新减少，一部分木本植物物种已重新发芽，构成了大部分新生长植被。适应干扰的物种的矮化个体大量繁殖，削弱了森林保持生物多样性以及提供具有地方和全球意义的关键生态系统服务的能力。这种广泛的栖息地退化是物种灭绝的关键驱动因素；已有111种脊椎动物受到威胁。针对这些脊椎动物和6种仙人掌科植物已有保护计划，但只有少数涉及当地利益相关者（如传统社区）的举措得到实施。将受威胁物种吉祥物化一直是实现若干保护目标的主要途径，包括为当地人提供新的经济机会，特别是通过生态旅游。不幸的是，卡廷加地区旨在协调生物多样性保护与可持续发展及减贫的举措仍与支持高强度森林开发和资源开采的更好做法概念相关联，而不是通过现代技术促进作物和牲畜生产。减少或消除森林资源开采是保护原始森林从而维持不可替代的生态系统服务（如土壤保护、微气候调节、地下水补给以及为受威胁物种提供优质栖息地）的前提条件。这些服务的持续存在（而非森林产品的供应）具有战略意义，因为干旱地区因气候变化面临更高的干旱程度。我们建议实施多功能农业景观以促进农村可持续发展。这些景观应包括高森林覆盖率、森林完整性以及土壤多功能性，所有这些都将提供关键的生态系统服务并维持生物多样性。
