Although cacti such as the saguaro and organ pipe have come to define the Sonoran Desert for many people, they represent some 170 species of columnar cacti found in many parts of the Americas. These giant plants are so dominant in some ecosystems that many species of animals rely on them for food and shelter. They are pollinated by bats in central Mexico and Venezuela, by birds and bees in northern Mexico and Peru. This book summarizes our current knowledge about the ecology, evolution, and conservation of columnar cacti and their vertebrate mutualists to show that the very...
Although cacti such as the saguaro and organ pipe have come to define the Sonoran Desert for many people, they represent some 170 species of co...
