Addressing the urgent climate and biodiversity crisis through strategic ecosystem restoration in Brazil

@Article{LievanoLatorreetal2025,
  author = {Luisa Fernanda Liévano-Latorre and Juliana M. Almeida-Rocha and Alberto Akama and Hernani Alves Almeida and Ricardo Teixeira Gregório Andrade and Marcelo Rodrigues {dos Anjos} and Yasmine Antonini and Thaise Oliveira Bahia and Flavia Rodrigues Barbosa and Reinaldo Imbrozio Barbosa and Claudia Franca Barros and Helena Godoy Bergallo and Liliane Souza Brabo and Andre Restel Camilo and Renata Capellão and Rainiellen Sá Carpanedo and Carolina Volkmer Castilho and Larissa Cavalheiro and Rui Cerqueira and Carlos Leandro Cordeiro and Milton Omar Córdova and Renato Crouzeilles and Cátia Nunes Cunha and Arnaud Desbiez and Elisandro Ricardo Dreschler-Santos and Viviane Dib and Carolina Rodrigues Costa Doria and Leandro Oliveira Drummond and Geraldo Wilson Afonso Fernandes and Vanda Lúcia Ferreira and Erich Fischer and Luciana Campos Franci and Stela Rosa Amaral Gonçalves and Carlos Eduardo Viveiros Grelle and Gabby Neves Guilhon and Marcia Patricia Hoeltgebaum and Mariana Iguatemy and Álvaro Iribarrem and Catarina C. Jakovac and André Braga Junqueira and Ricardo Koroiva and Joana Madeira Krieger and Eduardo Lacerda and Agnieszka Latawiec and Alessandra Monteiro Lopes and Júlia Lins Luz and Tatiana Lemos Silva Machado and Veronica Maioli-Azevedo and Stella Manes and Angelo Gilberto Manzatto and Ana Carolina Lacerda Matos and Lara Monteiro and Manuel Comes Muanis and Marcelo Trindade Nascimento and Selvino Neckel-Oliveira and Julia Niemeyer and Janaina Costa Noronha and Alessandro Pacheco Nunes and Alex Eugênio Oliveira and Jane C. F. Oliveira and Luiz Gustavo Oliveira and Susamar Pansini and Marcos Penhacek and Ricardo Oliveira Perdiz and Luciana Regina Podgaiski and Antonio Rossano Mendes Pontes and Ananza Mara Rabello and Danilo Bandini Ribeiro and Diogo Rocha and Domingo Jesus Rodrigues and Fabio Oliveira Roque and Bruno H. P. Rosado and Carolina Ferreira Santos and Fabiane Carolyne Santos and Patrícia Marques Santos and Carlos A. M. Scaramuzza and Ana Carolina Lins Silva and Barbara Rúbia Silveira and Marcos Silveira and Maria Aurea Pinheiro Almeida Silveira and Bernardo Strassburg and Walfrido Moraes Tomas and Julian Nicholas Garcia Willmer and Rafael Loyola},
  journal = {Biological Conservation},
  title = {{Addressing the urgent climate and biodiversity crisis through strategic ecosystem restoration in Brazil}},
  year = {2025},
  issn = {0006-3207},
  month = {feb},
  pages = {110972},
  volume = {302},
  abstract = {Ecosystem restoration is crucial worldwide to address environmental challenges. Many countries, including Brazil, have committed to restoring degraded landscapes at national and international levels. Brazil aims to restore twelve million hectares of degraded areas by 2030, which requires strategic decision-making to allocate resources effectively and balance biodiversity gains with societal benefits. Our modeling approach uses extensive biodiversity field data to identify priority areas for restoration across Brazil's diverse phytogeographic domains. By focusing on expanding native species habitats and enhancing connectivity, we aim to maximize ecological returns. Precisely, we pinpoint areas within each Brazilian phytogeographic domain with the greatest potential for habitat enhancement, including the Amazon's arc of deforestation, central Cerrado, the limits of Caatinga, Pampa, and Pantanal, and the coastal areas of the Atlantic Forest. Restoring 30% of these areas—approximately 76 million hectares—could significantly benefit 11,028 species by increasing available habitat by up to 10% and improving landscape functional connectivity by 60%. Moreover, this restoration effort would capture up to 9.8 million tons of atmospheric carbon, contributing to global climate goals. As Brazil strives to meet national and international targets, we also advocate for economic incentives to support restoration  practices within each phytogeographic domain. Integrating prioritization modeling into decision-making ensures optimal biodiversity and carbon stock outcomes to guide more effective restoration efforts. This comprehensive strategy helps advance restoration goals and underscores the vital role of science-based planning in safeguarding our planet's natural heritage.},
  doi = {10.1016/j.biocon.2025.110972},
  publisher = {Elsevier BV},
}