Saguaro Cactus Dynamics
McAuilffe JR. 1996. Saguaro Cactus Dynamics. Pages 96-131 or 150-194. In Halvorson WL and Davis GE. Science and ecosystem management in the national parks. University of Arizona Press. Tucson, AZ
Introduction: Of all the remarkable plants of the desert Southwest, the giant cactus, or saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), stands out in the minds of many Americans as an icon representing the novelty and grandeur of the desert realm. In 1933, Saguaro National Monument (SAGU) was established on the east side of Tucson, Arizona, to protect what was then one of the most awe-inspiring stands of saguaros to be found anywhere in the Sonoran Desert. However, within less than a decade, a precipitous decline of this particular saguaro population began. Today the giant, many-branched saguaros have all but disappeared from the original "Cactus Forest" of the 1930s (Fig. 1 ). Since about 1940 and continuing to the present day, the considerable alarm generated by the spectre of a cactus forest in SAGU without saguaros has spawned a variety of research investigations in an attempt to determine the cause of the decline. Unfortunately, the most sensational, but seriously flawed research conclusions have had some of the strongest and long-lasting impacts on park management and information (or rather. misinformation) disseminated to the public by the press.
- Type
- Book Chapter
- Authors
- McAuilffe, Joseph
- Units
- SAGU
- Keywords
- Bacterial Necrosis, Microhabitat, Pollination, Reproduction, Saguaro, Seed Dispersal, Seedling, Soil, Tissue