In Southern Brazil, forest fragments are commonly used for agroforestry systems (AFS) - called caívas -focused on erva-mate and livestock production. Although the caívas have helped maintain forest cover, thereis a general lack of understanding of the effects of this system on species diversity and their potential forecological restoration. Aiming to contribute to a better understanding of the forest dynamics (trees andregeneration) of these AFS, we present a six-year case study in which we monitored a caíva that has been usedfor animal husbandry for 70 years. We observe that forest management in the caíva modified the populationstructure mostly through reductions in the density of a few adult tree species. On the other hand, the potentialregeneration shows consistent growth, including several species not found in the adult population. The caívashowed high levels of resilience in terms of regeneration, despite the extractive use of these remnants overseveral decades. This result demonstrates that the strategies used herein can help to restore forests with a denseand diverse forest cover within caívas. With the correct management of this regeneration potential, it is possibleto maintain healthy and diverse forests that are being conserved through use.
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