The diverse globose cactus community of Argentina’s Sierras Chicas, ecology and conservation

Abstract

Humid and shady forest, extensive grasslands, moist gorges full of ferns—the mountains of Córdoba do not at first view look like a promising place for cactus lovers. However, these mountains harbor one of the most diverse, curious and understudied communities of globose cacti in the world. How have these plants persisted in ann environment so different from the desert they came from? Can they survive the assaults of development? Although the cactus flora of the Córdoba mountains is relatively well known, there is little information about their ecology or conservation status. Our working team, composed of researchers from the National University of Córdoba and of the nongovernmental organization “Argentine Ecosystems,” has proposed to answer these and other questions related to this fascinating group of plants. In this article, we report some preliminary results fromour study, supported in part by the Cactus and Succulent Society of America, and explore some factors that are threatening this group of plants.