Icon of the American Desert: The Mighty Saguaro Cactus

#saguaro #botany #cactus
Among the thousands of species of cactus, one really stands above the rest, a species that has become what can only be described as a tree, the Saguaro. They are endemic to the Sonoran desert of Arizona, South-Eastern California, and Northern Mexico, where they form strange forests across the desert slopes. Like most other cacti, the saguaro is a stem succulent, which means they use their thick stems as the main place they store water.
The saguaro is a keystone species in the Sonoran desert with many animals using these plants for food and shelter. The blooms of the saguaro are pollinated by a range of animals, from hummingbirds to bats, with the white winged dove surprisingly being one of the most important. No animal though loves saguaro more than the Gila woodpecker, not only do they enjoy the flower nectar, but they also like to make their nests inside the cactus, drilling cavities that the cactus forms callus tissue around, creating the perfect little cavity for the woodpecker to raise a family. Each season the gila woodpecker creates a new hole, so holes from the previous seasons are available for other birds that love the saguaro, but don’t have the special drilling beak of a woodpecker, like the elf owl, the world's smallest owl.
Sources
Anderson, Edward F. (2001), The Cactus Family, Pentland, Oregon: Timber Press, ISBN 978-0-88192-498-5
Cota-Sánchez, J. Hugo & Bomfim-Patrício, Márcia C. (2010), "Seed morphology, polyploidy and the evolutionary history of the epiphytic cactus Rhipsalis baccifera (Cactaceae)" (PDF), Polibotanica, 29: 107–129, retrieved 2012-05-15, pp. 117–118
Views of the National Parks: Stop #3 - Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), National Park Service, US Department of the Interior, archived from the original on 2011-10-26, retrieved 2012-02-19
Bronson, Dustin R.; English, Nathan B.; Dettman, David L.; Williams, David G. (2011-08-06). "Seasonal photosynthetic gas exchange and water-use efficiency in a constitutive CAM plant, the giant saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea)". Oecologia. 167 (3): 861–71. Bibcode:2011Oecol.167..861B. doi:10.1007/s00442-011-2021-1. ISSN 1432-1939. PMID 21822726. S2CID 25829629.
Rabe, Michael J. (June 2009). Sanders, Todd A. (ed.). "Mourning Dove, White-winged Dove, and Band-tailed Pigeon: 2009 population status"(PDF). Laurel, Maryland: United States Fish and Wildlife Service. pp. 25–32. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
"Article 11: Arizona Native Plants". Arizona Department of Agriculture. Archived from the original on September 20, 2013.
Mikkelson, David (February 8, 2015), Death by Saguaro, Snopes, retrieved 2017-01-20

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[captainminty]

I guess David Grundman got himself a Darwin Award

[gsxrman]

Natural Selection, now that's funny.

[GeoZoo-official.]

The North American desert is somewhat alien compared to other deserts on earth, you can just feel something there, it’s a living, breathing desert. It’s so cool how literal owls and woodpeckers reside in cacti to creat a sort of natural defense against predators, and you managed to showcase that perfectly. Great video

[BioBush]

I had never thought about it before, but the holes of the Gila Woodpecker must be really bad for the cactus' water retention. Of course cactuses would have a great mechanism to seal off holes. They have to, or a woodpecker hole could be fatal! This was an interesting look into a new branch of biology. Looking forward to whatever information you share next!

[tak]

“This is what is called natural selection”

[KhanhTheLearner]

When even cacti are dying of heat and dryness, you know you got a problem.

[BuscandoFauna]

Friend, how are you doing on this beautiful day? What an excellent video you presented to us. Beautiful cactus and many interesting facts. I enjoyed it a lot. I send you many greetings and I wish you to continue very, very well. Big hug.

[TheWildlifeBrothers]

I don’t always give plants enough appreciation, but I have always loved saguaros! They are just crazy looking plants. The natural selection remark made me spit out my water, thanks for that. Great work!
- Harrison

[lutherheggs]

Saguaro catcus are often depicted in Texas related graphics despite the fact the plant does not occur in Texas.

[AllAboutClimate]

Excellent video - I love the Sonoran ecosystem!

[emiliebaggett]

I rescued an arm of a Saguaro a neighbor was cutting down in my neighborhood. Should I cover it with a wet towel to allow it a “boost” of hydration while it tries to flourish in my yard? It’s 106 today at my home and another video said they need protection’ but to NOT water the base. Your thoughts?

[taggartblake]

areole and areoles. Not areola. An areola is a nipple