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Conservation Status, Germination, and Establishment of the Divine Cactus, Lophophora williamsii (Lem. Ex Salm-Dyck) J. M. Coult., at Cuatro Ciénegas 

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Plant Diversity and Ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert

Part of the book series: Cuatro Ciénegas Basin: An Endangered Hyperdiverse Oasis ((CUCIBA))

Abstract

Lophophora williamsii, commonly known as “peyote” or “divine cactus”, has a wide distribution in the Chihuahuan Desert, but is under threat due to over-harvesting for religious ceremonies or psychedelic tourism, and many populations no longer exist. Natural populations can be rehabilitated or aided by sowing seeds or reintroducing specimens, which requires information on germination requirements and establishment conditions. We assessed seed germination and establishment to identify ecological factors that may determine the formation of seed banks, the effect of solar radiation on establishment, and seed aging after ex situ storage. This information can be used for conservation programs of peyote populations at Cuatro Ciénegas. Seeds collected from the wild and a sample of seeds kept for several years in a botanical garden’s germplasm collection were used for experimental trials. Germination experiments included seeds of different ages (1–9 years old) and three different light conditions. Germination decreased with seed age and was higher under shade mesh conditions. Peyote seeds remained viable for several years, which suggest they may form a seed bank as well as survive storage at room temperature (20 ± 2 °C), with a germination decay of up to 25% indicating a loss of viability process. Although Cuatro Ciénegas Basin holds well preserved populations of the divine cactus, they may be threatened by biological and anthropogenic factors, so it is urgent to drive efforts towards the future conservation of this outstanding cactus.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the Botanical Garden of UNAM for the donation of seeds. This paper is in memory of Dr. Juan José López, “El Centauro del Norte”, a cactus enthusiast and researcher that led us to visit the peyote localities in Cuatro Ciénegas.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología de la biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

    Maria C. Mandujano & Mariana Rojas-Aréchiga

  2. Colectividad Razonatura A.C, Mexico City, Mexico

    Alejandra García Naranjo

  3. Lab. Ecología, Sistemática y Fisiología Vegetal, Depto. El Hombre y Su Ambiente, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana Xochimilco, Mexico City, Mexico

    Jordan Golubov

Authors
  1. Maria C. Mandujano
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  2. Alejandra García Naranjo
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  3. Mariana Rojas-Aréchiga
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  4. Jordan Golubov
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Maria C. Mandujano .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología de la Biodiversidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

    Maria C. Mandujano

  2. Departmento Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

    Irene Pisanty

  3. Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, UNAM, Mexico City, Mexico

    Luis E. Eguiarte

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Mandujano, M.C., García Naranjo, A., Rojas-Aréchiga, M., Golubov, J. (2020). Conservation Status, Germination, and Establishment of the Divine Cactus, Lophophora williamsii (Lem. Ex Salm-Dyck) J. M. Coult., at Cuatro Ciénegas . In: Mandujano, M., Pisanty, I., Eguiarte, L. (eds) Plant Diversity and Ecology in the Chihuahuan Desert. Cuatro Ciénegas Basin: An Endangered Hyperdiverse Oasis. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44963-6_14

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