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- Title
DENSITIES, PLANT SIZES, AND SPATIAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF SIX WILD POPULATIONS OF LOPHOPHORA WILLIAMSII (CACTACEAE) IN TEXAS, U.S.A.
- Authors
Ermakova, Anna; Whiting, Carolyn V.; Trout, Keeper; Clubbe, Colin; Terry, Martin K.; Fowler, Norma
- Abstract
Lophophora williamsii (Cactaceae) is thought to be threatened by habitat loss and overharvesting. However, basic demographic and habitat information to evaluate its conservation status have been lacking. We surveyed six wild populations of this species, three in South Texas and three in West Texas, to begin to address this gap. We found high levels of heterogeneity in plant presence and density at multiple spatial scales. While plant densities were not consistently different between South and West Texas, plants were significantly larger in West Texas. The two regions differ strongly in precipitation, temperature, elevation, and topography, all of which are correlated at the regional scale. Therefore, it was not possible to identify which of these variables, or other factors such as competition and human harvesting, may be responsible for the regional differences in plant size. However, our results provide initial information for determining the conservation status of this species.
- Subjects
TEXAS; CHIHUAHUAN Desert; PLANT size; PLANT spacing; WILDLIFE conservation; REGIONAL differences; WILDLIFE management areas; DENSITY; CACTUS
- Publication
Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas, 2021, Vol 15, Issue 1, p149
- ISSN
1934-5259
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.17348/jbrit.v15.i1.1057