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Legal Reserves represent almost one third of all remaining native vegetation in Brazil.
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There is no solid argument, evidence or theory that support that Legal Reserve extinction will favor Brazil development.
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The extinction of Legal Reserves will lead to a huge increase in native vegetation loss, with blatant negative consequences on biodiversity and ecosystem services provision.
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Legal Reserves are a key-component for effective and less expensive nature-based solutions.
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Legal Reserves should be considered as assets for the development of Brazil rather than liabilities.
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Studies in climate change usually assume that time is too short for evolution.
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Some models suggest that evolutionary rescue of populations is plausible.
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Despite the interest, these models are hard to parameterize.
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Here we review these models and point out the problems and uncertainties.
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We discuss the way forward to understand adaptive potential to climate changes.
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Brazil's regulations governing deforestation and logging are often circumvented.
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Agreements with soy and beef companies are important but need strengthening.
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Effectiveness of commodity agreements is diminished by laundering and leakage.
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Timber harvest and transportation permits are open to widespread fraud.
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Ways exist to reduce circumvention of commodity agreements and regulations.
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Brazilian Caatinga lacks legal protection.
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Wind-powered energy is mainly generated in the Caatinga.
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Creation of new protected areas and the establishment of wind farms may generate conflicts of interest.
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Millions of hectares mapped as of priority for the Caatinga conservation are also suitable for wind-energy.
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Preventing conflict of interest is needed to achieve both energy and conservation goals.
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Large-scale agricultural expansion modifies landscape composition and configuration.
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Highly transformed landscapes are less productive.
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Sugarcane and forest primary production decreases in more deforested landscapes.
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Forests in more fragmented landscapes are less productive.
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Sugarcane production benefits from forest conservation at the landscape level.
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Pine removal contributes to woody species regeneration.
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Herbaceous layer still needed to overcome the barrier imposed by the needle layer.
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Fire and removal of needles enhanced the regeneration (mostly graminoids and shrubs).
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We suggest the use of fire to increase vegetation regeneration after pine removal.
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Mine concessions disproportionately occur in important areas for migratory birds.
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Concessions may affect >10% of populations of 6 of 22 species examined.
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Steeply declining species were more likely to co-occur with concessions.
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Citizen-science data can inform planning efforts to reduce impacts to biodiversity.
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The presence of dogs in protected/vulnerable areas affects wildlife in different ways.
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Domestic dogs transit between wild environments and urban areas.
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Dogs can transmit various pathogens to wild animals.
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Wild animals can transmit different pathogens to domestic dogs.
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Dogs can act as spillover bridges, transferring pathogens from wild animals to humans.