Changing the paradigm for the development of the Caatinga dry forest region to rescue threatened biodiversity and improve sustainability

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 In response to human disturbance, forests have been replaced by shrubs, and desertification is expanding.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.