Scientists revealed on Monday that almost a thrid of cactuses are surprisingly at risk of extinction due to illegal trade and spreading of farmlands in dry areas, forcing the tiny, spiky plants to become a vulnerable species.
According to lead author of the study, Barbara Goettsch from the University of Sheffield, the team was surprised to discover how a high proportion of cactus species was already under threat by a number of threats.
This new study examined 1,478 types of cactus and resulted 31 percent of the ones assessed are at risk of extinction which is a higher rate compared to 25 percent of mammals and 12 percent of birds, rated as vulnerable to dying out from human interference.
The rare and unique beauty of cactuses are prized by many collectors for its bright flowers and unpredictable blooming seasons, where size ranges anywhere from 0.4 inch to 62 feet high. Currently, an international treaty is banning trade among many extremely rare cactuses.
According to Inger Andersen, director general of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) that monitors the Red List for threatened species, these findings are considered to be quite disturbing. These findings now confirm how illegal wildlife trade especially in plants, is much more widespread than previously thought.
The study also reveals how cattle ranches in dry lands including the spreading of farm lands and roads in urban areas are major threats to cactus habitats in the Americas, especially spanning from Chile to Uruguay and Mexico to the United States.
Apparently, all cactus species are indigenous to the Americas except the mistletoe cactus that is found in Africa and Madagascar and Sri Lanka. This new study is published in the journal Nature Plants.