The theme “The real wealth of forestry” is inspiring, leading to reflection on the path taken so far, when the cultivation of forests becomes strategic for the economy, providing social and environmental gains for our country.

In the global context, the positive status occurred in response to Brazil's environmental conditions, the know-how in forestry of the genus Eucalyptus, and the evolution in the cultivation of the genera Pinus, Corymbia, Acacia, Khaya and Tectona. This, in line with legislation and the interests of companies, emphasizing certified ones, sets the standard of responsibility that should serve as a reference for other sectors of national agribusiness.

From another perspective, the richness of forestry is also linked to more than 7,000 native tree species with multiple potential uses, which exhibit specific behavior depending on the environment. Among the hundreds of best-known species in terms of use and cultivation, Ilex paraguariensis, Araucaria angustifolia, Anacardium occidentale, Bertholletia excelsa, Virola sunimensis, Copaifera langsdorffii, Handroanthus heptaphyllus, Cedrela odorata, Hymenaea courbari, used in food, herbal medicines, cosmetics and wood. Thousands more still have unknowns regarding their real potential and, consequently, their forestry, despite certainly presenting indirect benefits.

In this sense, we seek to lead the reader to reflect on some important factors in the context of the proposed title:

a) At COP21, Brazil made a commitment to restore and reforest 12 million hectares by 2030, as benefits to the low-carbon economy;
b) The national territory presents contrasting environments distributed between latitudes 5 degrees North (Roraima) to 33 degrees South (Rio Grande do Sul) and longitudes 34 degrees West (Paraíba) to 73 degrees West (Acre), whose climate variations, topography and soil determine the presence and abundance of species;
c) The proportion of the arboreal component in biomes and phytoecological regions is characterized by the existence and behavior of species, so that some are distributed in space in a more restricted way (example: Neltuma affinis, Swietenia macrophylla), intermediate (example: Myrocarpus frondosus, Blepharocalyx salicifolius) or broad (example: Cedrela fissilis, Anadenanthera colubrina;
d) The species present patterns of tolerance to the availability of incident light and other characteristics, which classify them into a successional group (pioneer, early secondary, late secondary, climax);
e) The reproductive biology of species determines genetic populations.

At first, analyzing the encouragement of restoration practices in Brazil, it is clear that actions are restricted to specific regions and for various reasons, such as the political strength of certain international and national groups, the occurrence of environmental disasters and, in some cases, due to legal demands. From this perspective, charges are regionalized, and not at a national level, discouraging the various sectors of the economy from acting to “conserve and recover what they own”.

On the other hand, it is also necessary to recognize that progress has been made, in response to the joint effort of universities, research institutions, companies, associations and non-governmental organizations. This allowed the development of important general guidelines, but they must be adapted according to the environment (specific location), that is, there is no list of species with a “recipe for how to do it”.

Thus, initially, it is necessary to advance the understanding of native forest species and their cultivation for environmental and/ or productive purposes, in regional and not generalized terms. Furthermore, it is important to direct efforts towards the selection of parent trees in larger areas, with the support of public agencies in conservation units, as well as increasing the number of parent trees making up seed lots, which will provide seeds and seedlings with greater genetic variability.

The highlighted figure presents a diagram of forestry and considerations necessary for restoration. Starting from the upper left portion, one can observe a condition of the forest already understood by forestry, which indicates the forest that is intended to be maintained (conserved) or achieved (ecological restoration). This understanding expresses the initial basis for species selection and its representativeness in terms of density (individual per hectare), frequency (distribution in the area), dominance (square meters per hectare), among other autoecological characteristics.

Next, the most limiting forestry issues that must be observed in detail before carrying out the restoration are presented. In this case, a series of activities predispose the availability of seeds: fruiting phenology (when and how to collect, for how long), speed in fruit processing, followed by use or storage. In terms of seedling availability, it is important to consult nurseries in the region in advance, as production investment is high and many species are produced in response to demand, as they depend on seed availability, percentages and emergence uniformity. Finally, the establishment of plants for effective ecological restoration presents limitations in the initial post-planting phase, which is associated with climate conditions and meteorological extremes.

In this last phase, the importance of identifying the level of alteration or degradation of the area, the geographic position and the main climatic variations stands out, in order to select species that are more tolerant to the initial coverage and plan post-planting interventions. In the South, extreme conditions stand out, where frosts can even compromise native pioneer species, considered suitable for restoration in the region (Turchetto, et al, 2020, In: Revista de Gestão Ambiental). Meteorological extremes during hot summers have also reduced the establishment of seedlings, especially in more continentalized regions, a fact that demands the identification of species tolerant to water stress (Stahl, 2024, in press).

In this context, understanding the complexity of each stage allows us to identify gaps and value restoration not as an isolated action, but as a result of several interconnected activities. Forestry of native tree species, despite being an enchanting line of study, represents a continuous challenge for professionals seeking the effective conservation of forests in the long term.

Finally, it is essential to highlight the greatness of those who take on the challenge, congratulating researchers, teachers, companies and citizens who participate in restoration and reforestation actions. I highlight to those who wish to cultivate native species, regardless of the objective (production, obtaining carbon or environmental credits), the importance of paying close attention to the selection of species, with prior planning to obtain seedlings, as well as managing the area after planting.