Resumo O manejo florestal sustentável (MFS) pode abrigar diferentes discursos sobre a sustentabilidade. Neste trabalho, a partir da teoria do discurso, foram caracterizadas as principais ideias, conceitos e narrativas que têm sido propostos sobre o MFS da vegetação nativa do Domínio da Caatinga (DC). Foram constatados três principais discursos: a) MFS bioenergético: enfatiza a produção de biomassa florestal para abastecer as demandas energéticas regionais; adicionalmente, procura contribuir fortemente para a redução do desmatamento e conservação florestal; b) MFS silvo-pastoril: busca fornecer alternativas para melhorar a disponibilidade forrageira; c) MFS não madeireiro: procura valorizar os conhecimentos tradicionais sobre a biodiversidade, para ampliar as formas de manejo de múltiplas espécies e fortalecer as estratégias de convivência com a região semiárida. A existência de diferentes discursos, juntamente com o leque de práticas sustentáveis que eles apresentam, oferece a oportunidade para a mudança política e inovação institucional.

Abstract Sustainable forest management (SFM) can harbor different discourses on sustainability. In this paper, based on discourse theory, the main ideas, concepts and narratives that have been proposed about the SFM of the native vegetation of the Caatinga Domain (DC) were characterized. Three main speeches were highlighted: a) Bioenergetic SFM: emphasizes the production of forest biomass to supply regional energy demands; additionally, it seeks to contribute strongly to the reduction of deforestation and forest conservation; b) Silvopastoral SFM: seeks to offer alternatives to improve forage availability; c) Non-timber SFM: seeks to value traditional knowledge about biodiversity, to expand the ways of managing multiple species and strengthen strategies for coexistence with the semi-arid region. The existence of different discourses, together with the range of sustainable practices they present, offers the opportunity for policy change and institutional innovation.

Resumen El manejo forestal sostenible (MFS) puede albergar diferentes discursos sobre la sostenibilidad. En este trabajo, basado en la teoría del discurso, se caracterizaron las principales ideas, conceptos y narrativas que se han propuesto sobre lo MFS de la vegetación nativa del Dominio de la Caatinga (DC). Se encontraron tres discursos principales: a) MFS bioenergético: enfatiza la producción de biomasa forestal para abastecer las demandas energéticas regionales; además, busca contribuir fuertemente a la reducción de la deforestación y la conservación de los bosques; b) MFS silvopastoril: busca proporcionar alternativas para mejorar la disponibilidad forrajera; c) MFS no maderable: busca valorar los conocimientos tradicionales sobre la biodiversidad, ampliar las formas de manejo de múltiples especies y fortalecer las estrategias de convivencia con el semiárido. La existencia de diferentes discursos, junto con la gama de prácticas sostenibles que presentan, ofrece la oportunidad para el cambio de políticas y la innovación institucional.

ABSTRACT Ecological restoration by direct seeding in the Cerrado biome still lacks information about native species germination, the need for dormancy overcoming and seed bank formation. This study aims to verify the effects of dormancy overcoming on germination of four tree species and the ability of 12 tree species to form seed banks for restoration use. Our results showed wide variation of species’ germination rates. Overcoming dormancy enhanced germination for Dimorphandra mollis, Hymenaea stigonocarpa, and Peltophorum dubium and decreased it for Copaifera langsdorffii, but was only cost-effective for H. stigonocarpa. Regarding the ability to form seed banks, only H. stigonocarpa and Cecropia pachystachya germinated and live seedlings of Terminalia corrugata were found after being buried for six months, thus forming a transient seed bank. Despite the fact that overcoming dormancy may optimize germination after direct seeding, maintaining dormancy mechanisms of species that can form seed banks could be essential for species establishment over time in restoration areas. Hence, our key decision criteria based on seed costs and seed and labor availability would be useful for the seeding actions of restoration practitioners.

Whether management intervention is required to control biological invasions depends primarily on demonstrating species losses resulting from such invasions. Brackens of the Pteridium genus are currently regarded as a problem species that act as important ecological filters in the assembly of invaded communities. We investigated the effects of Pteridium arachnoideum invasion on the diversity, structure, floristic composition, and functional traits of cerradão in Assis, São Paulo, Brazil. We compared an invaded site with an adjacent non-invaded site. Bracken constrained the establishment of tree species, resulting in a community structure remarkably distinct from the non-invaded area. The density and basal area of the arboreal community were higher in non-invaded areas, but large trees were more frequent in the invaded areas. However, bracken did not reduce tree species diversity. Both richness and diversity were higher in the invaded area, indicating that over time, tree species richness and diversity naturally recovered, albeit slowly, in the invaded area. Therefore, one cannot attribute the loss of richness in the Cerrado vegetation to bracken invasion. Hence, we argue that, in this system, eradication of this invasive species is not likely to be cost effective, and thus, it should be a low management priority.