Cloning of Northern Mexico cactus proves useful in conservation
Monday, March 28, 2016 - 12:20
in Biology & Nature
Endangerment of certain cacti species is caused by multiple factors, most notably illicit extraction. In an effort to curb this endangerment and plan for repopulation of threatened species, scientists have been researching the most efficient methods of cloning. Recently, tests on Turbinicarpus valdezianus (Möller) Glass & Foster (Cactaceae), a species of cactus endemic to Northern Mexico suffering from habitat loss, proved very successful at inducing shoot proliferation and roots through in vitro cloning. Raúl Cárdenas Navarro, in an article published in HortScience (January 2016), says that the successful tests prove to be a good option for rescuing wild populations of the species that are suffering from habitat loss.