More than 12% of the watersheds of the Brazilian Amazon already have or are approaching natural forest cover below 30% and more than a third have below 80%.

Regions of the Amazon already forest cover below the average of the Atlantic Forest.

We propose learning policy lessons from the Atlantic Forest to avoid the same trajectory as the Amazon.

They need to be implemented urgently to stop the route towards its tipping point, address the climate emergency and assure the provision of ecosystem services.

There is room for expansion in the academic engagement with businesses in Brazil, notably in issues related to biodiversity and sustainability.

To tackle existing issues: offsets, licensing, and private reserves are fronts for engagement between academia and businesses in Brazil.

To tap into new opportunities: sustainable bioeconomy, access and benefit sharing, and environmental, social, and corporate governance are topics whereby academia-businesses partnerships in Brazil can innovate.

A mindset shift in academia and corporations will be required to foster sustainable businesses from a biodiversity perspective.

Limited Global South participation and parachute science hampers tropical ecology.

Upgrades in equity, diversity and inclusion rooted in the Global South are essential.

Tropical conservation practices must be led by local researchers and stakeholders.

Recognition of science in the Global South may improve through outreach.

International research must provide equitable workloads and recognition to Global South researchers.

References are key to restoration, especially in highly threatened ecosystems.

Optimal references connect conservation and restoration.

Small remnants that serve as references can lead to landscape-scale benefits.

A detailed habitat classification is needed for adequate protection and restoration.

Ensuring optimal references protection will benefit future restoration initiatives.

Colombia covers over half of key wintering areas for migratory birds in South America.

Most of the migrants’ overwinter range overlaps with working landscapes.

Priority national restoration/rehabilitation areas are ineffective to benefit migrants.

Forest conservation needs actions involving vulnerable and minority groups.

We evaluated 7 water-related ES in landscapes with different proportions between eucalyptus and natural forests.

There is a threshold close to 20% of forest coverage below which ES supply tends to become unsustainable.

The highest gain to the seven ES occurs in catchments with natural forest cover over 45%.

Erosion control was the service most linked to natural forest decrease.

Identifying and mapping strategic areas is a starting point for conservation and restoration actions.

Different participator perspectives allow changes in the methodology originally adopted.

The participatory approach provides highly effective and assessable mapping prioritization.

Brazil has the highest number of threatened avian taxa.

Taxa eligibility for ex situ conservation is not correlated to level of threat.

Larger taxa with easily replicable diets are predominant in ex situ conservation facilities.

Presence in traffic favors taxa eligibility for ex situ conservation plans.

Ex situ conservation reach is constrained by the lack of experimentation and of risk-taking.

Power lines are a major cause of bird mortality due to electrocutions and collisions.

This threat has been poorly studied in South America.

Scientific and grey literature suggest this threat is present in this subcontinent.

A total of 85 bird species from 34 families affected by power lines were identified.

More studies assessing bird mortality due to this threat in South America are needed.

The KBA Standards may not be scalable to all biodiversity.

If everywhere can be a Key Biodiversity Area, nowhere is “Key”.

If any area is “Key” the assessment process is solely based on manageability.