The Caatinga dry forest in northeastern Brazil represents one of the most species-rich dry forests globally. It is densely populated, contains economically undeveloped areas, and harbors increasingly degraded irreplaceable biota. In response to human disturbance, forests have been replaced by shrubs, and desertification is expanding. Seedling recruitment is reduced, and a subset of woody plant species have resprouted, comprising most of the new growth. The proliferation of low-statured individuals of disturbance-adapted species depletes the forest's capacity to retain biodiversity and provide key ecosystem services of local and global relevance. Such widespread habitat degradation is a key driver of species extinction; 111 vertebrate species are already threatened. Conservation plans are available for these vertebrates and 6 Cactaceae species, but only a handful of initiatives involving local stakeholders (e.g., traditional communities) have been implemented. The mascotization of threatened species has been the main approach to achieve several conservation goals, including the provision of new economic opportunities for locals, particularly via ecotourism. Unfortunately, Caatinga initiatives focused on reconciling biodiversity conservation with sustainable development and poverty alleviation are still tied to the concept of better practices in support of intense forest exploitation and extractivism rather than promoting crop and livestock production via modern technologies. Reducing or eliminating forest extractivism is a precondition to spare old-growth forests and thus maintain irreplaceable ecosystem services, such as soil protection, microclimate control, groundwater recharge, and high-quality habitat for threatened species. The persistence of these services (rather than the provision of forest products) is of strategic relevance because drylands are subject to higher aridity associated with climate change. We propose multifunctional agricultural landscapes be implemented to promote rural sustainable development. These landscapes should include high forest cover, forest integrity, and soil multifunctionality, all of which would provide key ecosystem services and biodiversity persistence. Cambios en el paradigma del desarrollo de la regi & oacute;n del bosque seco de Caatinga para rescatar la biodiversidad amenazada y mejorar la sustentabilidad El bosque seco de Caatinga, en el noreste de Brasil, es uno de los m & aacute;s ricos en especies del mundo; sin embargo, est & aacute; densamente poblado, contiene zonas econ & oacute;micamente subdesarrolladas y su irremplazable biota est & aacute; cada vez m & aacute;s degradada. Como respuesta a las perturbaciones humanas, los & aacute;rboles han sido sustituidos por arbustos y la desertificaci & oacute;n se est & aacute; extendiendo. El reclutamiento de pl & aacute;ntulas se ha reducido y un subconjunto de especies de plantas le & ntilde;osas ha rebrotado, constituyendo la mayor parte del nuevo crecimiento. La proliferaci & oacute;n de individuos de baja estatura de especies adaptadas a las perturbaciones merma la capacidad del bosque para conservar la biodiversidad y proporcionar servicios ambientales de relevancia local y mundial. Esta degradaci & oacute;n generalizada del h & aacute;bitat es un factor clave de la extinci & oacute;n de especies; 111 especies de vertebrados est & aacute;n ya amenazadas. Existen planes de conservaci & oacute;n para estos vertebrados y seis especies de cact & aacute;ceas, pero s & oacute;lo se han implementado unas cuantas iniciativas en las que participan los actores locales (por ejemplo, las comunidades tradicionales). El mercado de mascotas con especies amenazadas ha sido el principal enfoque para alcanzar varios objetivos de conservaci & oacute;n, entre ellos la provisi & oacute;n de nuevas oportunidades econ & oacute;micas para la poblaci & oacute;n local, sobre todo a trav & eacute;s del ecoturismo. Desafortunadamente, las iniciativas en Caatinga centradas en conciliar la conservaci & oacute;n de la biodiversidad con el desarrollo sostenible y la mitigaci & oacute;n de la pobreza siguen vinculadas al concepto de mejores pr & aacute;cticas en apoyo a la explotaci & oacute;n forestal intensa y el extractivismo, en lugar de promover la producci & oacute;n agr & iacute;cola y ganadera mediante tecnolog & iacute;as modernas. Se debe reducir o eliminar el extractivismo forestal para preservar los bosques antiguos y mantener as & iacute; servicios ambientales irremplazables, como la protecci & oacute;n del suelo, el control del microclima, la recarga de las aguas subterr & aacute;neas y el h & aacute;bitat de alta calidad para especies amenazadas. La persistencia de estos servicios (m & aacute;s que la provisi & oacute;n de productos forestales) es de importancia estrat & eacute;gica porque las tierras secas est & aacute;n sujetas a una mayor aridez asociada al cambio clim & aacute;tico. Proponemos que se implanten paisajes agr & iacute;colas multifuncionales para promover el desarrollo rural sostenible. Estos paisajes deber & aacute;n incluir una cubierta forestal elevada, integridad forestal, multifuncionalidad del suelo, todo lo cual proporcionar & iacute;a servicios ambientales clave y persistencia de la biodiversidad. ResumenCambios en el paradigma del desarrollo de la regi & oacute;n del bosque seco de Caatinga para rescatar la biodiversidad amenazada y mejorar la sustentabilidad El bosque seco de Caatinga, en el noreste de Brasil, es uno de los m & aacute;s ricos en especies del mundo; sin embargo, est & aacute; densamente poblado, contiene zonas econ & oacute;micamente subdesarrolladas y su irremplazable biota est & aacute; cada vez m & aacute;s degradada. Como respuesta a las perturbac El reclutamiento de pl & aacute;ntulas se ha reducido y un subconjunto de especies de plantas le & ntilde;osas ha rebrotado, constituyendo la mayor parte del nuevo crecimiento. La proliferaci & oacute;n de individuos de baja estatura de especies adaptadas a las perturbaciones merma la capacidad del bosque para conservar la biodiversidad y proporcionar servicios ambientales de relevancia local y mundial. Esta degradaci & oacute;n generalizada del h & aacute;bitat es un factor clave de la extinci & oacute;n de especies; 111 especies de vertebrados est & aacute;n ya amenazadas. Existen planes de conservaci & oacute;n para estos vertebrados y seis especies de cact & aacute;ceas, pero s & oacute;lo se han implementado unas cuantas iniciativas en las que participan los actores locales (por ejemplo, las comunidades tradicionales). El mercado de mascotas con especies amenazadas ha sido el principal enfoque para alcanzar varios objetivos de conservaci & oacute;n, entre ellos la provisi & oacute;n de nuevas oportunidades econ & oacute;micas para la poblaci & oacute;n local, sobre todo a trav & eacute;s del ecoturismo. Desafortunadamente, las iniciativas en Caatinga centradas en conciliar la conservaci & oacute;n de la biodiversidad con el desarrollo sostenible y la mitigaci & oacute;n de la pobreza siguen vinculadas al concepto de mejores pr & aacute;cticas en apoyo a la explotaci & oacute;n forestal intensa y el extractivismo, en lugar de promover la producci & oacute;n agr & iacute;cola y ganadera mediante tecnolog & iacute;as modernas. Se debe reducir o eliminar el extractivismo forestal para preservar los bosques antiguos y mantener as & iacute; servicios ambientales irremplazables, como la protecci & oacute;n del suelo, el control del microclima, la recarga de las aguas subterr & aacute;neas y el h & aacute;bitat de alta calidad para especies amenazadas. La persistencia de estos servicios (m & aacute;s que la provisi & oacute;n de productos forestales) es de importancia estrat & eacute;gica porque las tierras secas est & aacute;n sujetas a una mayor aridez asociada al cambio clim & aacute;tico. Proponemos que se implanten paisajes agr & iacute;colas multifuncionales para promover el desarrollo rural sostenible. Estos paisajes deber & aacute;n incluir una cubierta forestal elevada, integridad forestal, multifuncionalidad del suelo, todo lo cual proporcionar & iacute;a servicios ambientales clave y persistencia de la biodiversidad. 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