The keystone saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea, Cactaceae): a review of its ecology, associations, reproduction, limits, and demographics

@article{Drezner2014TheKS,
  title={The keystone saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea, Cactaceae): a review of its ecology, associations, reproduction, limits, and demographics},
  author={Taly Dawn Drezner},
  journal={Plant Ecology},
  year={2014},
  volume={215},
  pages={581-595}
}
  • T. Drezner
  • Published 10 April 2014
  • Environmental Science
  • Plant Ecology
This paper reviews the basics of a Sonoran Desert keystone cactus species, including the ecology of its establishment and high mortality, its association with nurse plants to provide ameliorated conditions for survival, and variability in longevity and reproduction over its range such as delayed reproduction in hotter and more arid populations where this delay is met with longer lifespans. The production of flowers, branches, and spines from areoles is reviewed, as well as current methods for… 
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49 Citations

North and South: Morphological Variability in the Endangered Opuntia cespitosa in Canada and Variation with Environmental Conditions
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Results for this species in its last major Canadian population include that site conditions affect variables such as etiolation, in addition to shade, and plants are taller and have larger pads in Florida, supporting an upcoming taxonomic revision which would split the Floridian populations from the Ontario plants.
A decade of flowering phenology of the keystone saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea).
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It was found that larger cacti began flowering earlier, flowered for longer, and produced more flowers, while warmer temperatures were correlated with advanced onset and higher bloom yields, while increased precipitation appeared to delay onset and reduce bloom yields.
Variations In Saguaro Cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) Spine Length In Wet and Dry Portions of Their Range
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Spine length in the keystone Carnegiea gigantea (Engelm.) Britton & Rose in two northern Sonoran Desert populations where this species is ultimately limited by cold temperatures increases, providing thermal protection and reducing photosynthesis, where temperature is more extreme and where conditions are more xeric.
How long does the giant saguaro live? Life, death and reproduction in the desert
Vegetation associations of the endangered Opuntia cespitosa (Prickly Pear, Cactaceae) and microsite variation in Point Pelee National Park, Ontario, Canada
  • T. Drezner
  • Environmental Science
    Physical Geography
  • 2019
ABSTRACT Many Opuntia engage in nurse associations. Opuntia cespitosa is an endangered cactus species in Canada that is infrequent to rare in many parts of its US range. This study quantifies Opuntia…
Phylogenetic Relationships and Evolutionary Trends in the Cactus Family.
TLDR
This work reviews the current knowledge about the evolution of Cactaceae, focusing on phylogenetic relationships and trends revealed by the study of DNA sequence data, and discusses potential future avenues for research in the family.
The interaction of drought and habitat explain space-time patterns of establishment in saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea).
TLDR
Saguaro establishment was best explained by the interaction of drought and habitat type; establishment in bajada and foothill plots dropped to near-zero under the most severe periods of water limitation but remained higher in slope plots during the same time span, and data suggest that the most suitable habitat type for saguaroestablishment shifted to higher elevations during the time span of the recent drought.
The Granulate Cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae): Biological Parameters Under Controlled Conditions, Host Plants, and Distribution in the Americas
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Feltia subterranea is a common species of owlet moths of major agricultural importance, widely distributed in Nearctic and Neotropical regions, and could represent a significant source of infestation of crops in the agricultural landscape.
Regional environmental conditions affect microsite response in a keystone desert species
Temporal Abundance of Agave Weevil, Scyphophorus acupunctatus1, and Two Species of Hololepta2 in Agave inaequidens
Abstract. The influence of weather variables on temporal distribution of Scyphophorus acupunctatus Gyllenhal, 1838, Hololepta sp., and Hololepta yucateca Marseul, 1853 in Agave inaequidens Koch was…
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References

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Variability in reproductive effort of a keystone species: age and height of branch establishment
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TLDR
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