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\"Deserts aren't home to many plants. Those that live in such dry, hot environments need to have special adaptations to thrive. The many kinds of cacti do! Readers explore the ways cacti conserve water, their unique habitats, and the features that make them a weird plant, compared to the tulips in your garden! From spines to flowers, full-color photographs and a plant diagram show readers what many species of cacti look like\"--Provided by publisher.

Bats pollinate many plants of high socio‐economic value, including the majority of columnar cacti (Cactaceae) in Mexico, which have been used by humans for food and materials for thousands of years. However, the importance of bats as pollinators has been overlooked, with a consequent lack of knowledge of the reliance of crops on bats for harvest yield and quality. We used exclusion experiments to determine the effect of different pollinator taxa on the yield and quality of pitayas (fruit of Stenocereus queretaroensis (F.A.C. Weber) Buxbaum), a major crop in central Mexico. We studied the three most economically important cultivars and wild individuals in the principal region for pitaya production. For each pollinator taxon we recorded fruit set and measured three key parameters of fruit quality: weight, sucrose concentration and seed set. We placed camera traps to determine pollinator identity and the effect of visitation rate on fruit quality. We found the primary pollinators of pitayas to be nectarivorous bats in the genus Leptonycteris. When bats were excluded from flowers and flowers were pollinated by other taxa (i.e. diurnal birds and insects), pitaya yield decreased by 35%, though pollination dependence varied between cultivars. Fruit quality decreased significantly in the absence of bat pollination across all cultivars, with fruits 46% lighter and 13% less sweet when pollinated by other taxa; reducing economic value, as size determines market price. Additionally, seed set (an indicator of effective pollination) was significantly lower in the absence of bat pollinators. Visitation rate had no effect on fruit quality. Synthesis and applications. Our study shows that bats provide a vital ecosystem service by pollinating a crop of major socio‐economic importance, and that consideration of both crop quality and yield are essential to fully understanding the benefits of bat pollination. A reduction of this service would result in a decrease in both the size and quality of the harvest, causing substantial loss of income for rural communities. Bats world‐wide face many threats, and management efforts targeted to the enhancement of wild bat pollinator populations would preserve the sustainability of both bat‐pollinated crops and wild plants. Our study shows that bats provide a vital ecosystem service by pollinating a crop of major socio‐economic importance, and that consideration of both crop quality and yield are essential to fully understanding the benefits of bat pollination. A reduction of this service would result in a decrease in both the size and quality of the harvest, causing substantial loss of income for rural communities. Bats world‐wide face many threats, and management efforts targeted to the enhancement of wild bat pollinator populations would preserve the sustainability of both bat‐pollinated crops and wild plants. Editor's Choice Resumen Los murciélagos polinizan un gran número de plantas de gran valor socioeconómico, incluyendo la mayoría de los cactus columnares (Cactaceae) en México, los cuales han sido utilizados por los humanos durante miles de años para obtener alimento y materiales. Sin embargo, se ha pasado por alto la importancia de los murciélagos como polinizadores, con la consiguiente falta de conocimiento de la dependencia de los cultivos a la polinización por los murciélagos para el rendimiento y calidad de la cosecha. Utilizamos experimentos de exclusión para determinar el efecto de diferentes taxones polinizadores en el rendimiento y la calidad de las pitayas (fruto de Stenocereus queretaroensis (F.A.C. Weber) Buxbaum), un cultivo importante en el centro de México. Estudiamos los tres cultivares más importantes económicamente e individuos silvestres, en una de las regiones más importantes para la producción de pitaya. Para cada taxón polinizador registramos la producción de frutas y medimos tres parámetros clave de la calidad del fruto: peso, concentración de sacarosa y cantidad de semillas. Colocamos cámaras trampa para determinar la identidad de los polinizadores y el efecto de la tasa de visitas en la calidad de la fruta. Encontramos que los principales polinizadores de las pitayas son los murciélagos nectarívoros del género Leptonycteris. Cuando los murciélagos fueron excluidos de las flores y éstas fueron polinizadas por otros taxones (es decir, aves e insectos diurnos), el rendimiento de las pitayas disminuyó en un 35%, aunque esta dependencia de polinización varió entre los cultivares. La calidad de la fruta disminuyó significativamente en ausencia de la polinización de murciélagos en todos los cultivares, con frutas 46% más livianas y 13% menos dulces cuando se polinizaron por otros taxones, reduciendo así el valor económico ya que su tamaño determina su precio en el mercado. Adicionalmente, el número de semillas (un indicador de polinización efectiva) fue significativamente menor en ausencia de los murciélagos polinizadores. La tasa de visitas no tuvo efecto sobre la calidad del fruto. Síntesis y aplicaciones. Este estudio muestra que los murciélagos proporcionan un servicio ecosistémico vital al polinizar un cultivo de gran importancia socioeconómica, y que la consideración de la calidad y el rendimiento del cultivo son esenciales para comprender completamente los beneficios de la polinización de los murciélagos. Una reducción de este servicio resultaría en una disminución tanto en el tamaño como en la calidad de la cosecha, causando una pérdida sustancial de ingresos para las comunidades rurales. Los murciélagos en todo el mundo enfrentan muchas amenazas y los esfuerzos de manejo dirigidos a la mejora de las poblaciones de murciélagos polinizadores apoyarían a la conservación tanto de los cultivos polinizados por murciélagos como de las plantas silvestres.

A guide to caring for--and living with--a wide range of cacti and succulents.

\"Explains how to grow and care for cactus and succulent plants in the home. A gallery shows how cacti and succulents can be arranged and a directory of plants provides information on dozens of species\"--Provided by publisher.

Aim The Mexican long‐tongued bat (Choeronycteris mexicana), Mexican long‐nosed bat (Leptonycteris nivalis) and lesser long‐nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae) (Phyllostomidae: Glossophaginae) undertake long‐distance migrations from south‐central Mexico to the south‐western United States. It is proposed that these bats migrate along a nectar corridor of columnar cacti and Agave species, but this has not been tested with independent data and the spatiotemporal nature of this relationship is poorly understood. Our goal was to test this nectar corridor hypothesis and determine the relative importance of food plant and abiotic variables to the distribution and seasonal movements of these migratory nectarivores. Location Mexico and the south‐western United States. Methods We generated species distribution models (SDMs) of documented food plants for these bats. We then created SDMs for each bat following a model selection approach, using food plant and abiotic predictor variables. We modelled migration pathways for C. mexicana and L. yerbabuenae using circuit theory and seasonal SDMs based on seasonally available food plants. Main conclusions Food plants were more important than climatic and topographic variables in shaping the distribution of these bats. The most important predictors of distribution were Agave, columnar cacti and species richness of food plants. Species richness of food plants was the most consistently important variable, but the components of this diversity varied by bat species: Choeronycteris mexicana was influenced by Agave and cacti; Leptonycteris nivalis was influenced solely by Agave; Leptonycteris yerbabuenae was influenced more generally by cacti, Agave and C3 plants. Migration models for C. mexicana and L. yerbabuenae provided independent support for the nectar corridor hypothesis and indicate shifts in relative importance of specific food plants throughout the year. These results suggest that conservation of these bats should focus more broadly on management for species richness of food plants, especially in tropical dry forests.

Succulent plants are widely distributed, reaching their highest diversity in arid and semi-arid regions. Their origin and diversification is thought to be associated with a global expansion of aridity. We test this hypothesis by investigating the tempo and pattern of Cactaceae diversification. Our results contribute to the understanding of the evolution of New World Succulent Biomes. We use the most taxonomically complete dataset currently available for Cactaceae. We estimate divergence times and utilize Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods that account for nonrandom taxonomic sampling, possible extinction scenarios and phylogenetic uncertainty to analyze diversification rates, and evolution of growth form and pollination syndrome. Cactaceae originated shortly after the Eocene–Oligocene global drop in CO2, and radiation of its richest genera coincided with the expansion of aridity in North America during the late Miocene. A significant correlation between growth form and pollination syndrome was found, as well as a clear state dependence between diversification rate, and pollination and growth-form evolution. This study suggests a complex picture underlying the diversification of Cactaceae. It not only responded to the availability of new niches resulting from aridification, but also to the correlated evolution of novel growth forms and reproductive strategies.

\"Cacti are full of contradictions. Although they can be found in some of the harshest, driest and most barren environments on earth, some are delicate tropical plants that grow high among the branches of the rainforest canopy. Many examples bristle with ferocious-looking spines, while others are completely bare. Nearly all exhibit remarkable floral displays - some having flowers that are even larger than the plant itself. Cacti have played a prominent role in human history for thousands of years. Some species were revered by ancient civilizations, playing a part in their religious ceremonies; other varieties have been heavily cultivated for food or for the production of the bright red dye cochineal - which is actually derived from a parasitic insect that feeds on the prickly pear cactus. Native to the American continents, cacti have spread worldwide and have become an important feature in many gardens and collections. Although not often in the culinary forefront of people's minds, a number of varieties of cacti are delicious to eat - it is a cactus that produces 'dragon fruit', which is fast becoming one of the world's more popular tropical fruits. In Cactus Dan Torre explores the natural, cultural and social history of cacti, with particular emphasis on how these remarkable plants have been represented in art, literature, cinema, animation and popular culture around the world. This is a highly original, entertaining and informative book that will appeal to everyone with an interest in cacti.\"--Back cover.

This study aims to establish efficient in vitro propagation protocols for Gymnocalycium cv. Fancy, an ornamental cactus with variegated variants, by evaluating the effects of cytokinin type and explant source on the organogenic response. Plants with different degrees of variegation (0–100%) were classified by size to obtain different explant types (apices, central discs, epicotyls, and hypocotyls). The effects of 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP, 8 µM), Kinetin (KIN, 4 µM), and Thidiazuron (TDZ, 1 µM) were assessed on shoot production, callus formation, and rhizogenesis. Additionally, we studied the relationship between initial plant variegation and the productivity of the variegated shoots. The best shoot production results were obtained for central discs treated with 1 µM TDZ. Furthermore, a correlation was observed between the activated areole type (green, mixed, or fully colored) and shoot color percentage, enabling precise explant selection. The appearance of differently colored shoots confirms the potential for selecting new lines from this cultivar too. These findings hold significant potential not only for the breeding and propagation of ornamental cacti but also for the cultivation of other edible cacti and their relatives.