TUCSON — Some cactus species, including those in the Sonoran Desert, could become critically endangered if extreme droughts keep getting worse, according to a new study led by researchers at the University of Arizona and the University of South Florida, Arizona’s Family reported.
The team modeled how long-term extreme heat and drought could affect nearly 1,000 cactus species across the Americas. The outlook got worse once severe droughts were added to the climate models, the researchers said. The study includes saguaros.
Lead author Michiel Pillet compared the species to patients. Without drought in the models, about six in 10 species are “sick.” With drought included, that rises to about seven in 10, and the species are “quite a bit sicker than we previously thought,” he said.
“I am certain that we will lose some of these species in the wild. That is my personal opinion, but informed by science, unfortunately,” Pillet said.
Researchers have also noticed cacti blooming less, and Arizona scientists reported more heat-related illness in cacti around the Valley last year.
Pillet said the damage would extend beyond the plants themselves. “It’s not just the cacti that are important, but it’s also animals that depend on those plants for survival through shelter and providing food,” he said.
Sources: Arizona’s Family. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Gentry George, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.
