The seed bank is one of the strategies for the preservation of endangered species, such as Caesalpinia echinata Lam. In this work we studied the changes in O2 consumption and CO2 release by seeds incubated at different temperatures and water contents, evaluating the deterioration of seeds through germination and tetrazolium tests. Our results demonstrated that the deterioration processes occurring in C. echinata seeds are related to respiration and possibly other oxidative processes, causing the death of embryonic tissues in short periods and loss of seed viability. This characteristic means that seed bank is an alternative for Caesalpinia echinata conservation, however it depends on the control of these oxidative processes.