Help researchers update cactus assessments on the IUCN Red List!
In 2015, the Global Cactus Assessment found that an alarming 31% of cacti were threatened with extinction. Thanks to the generosity of CSSA and other organizations, the first global assessment of cacti was made possible through donations, and now we’re asking for your help again.
A Lot Has Changed in 11 Years
Since the last assessment in 2015. Poaching has accelerated dramatically; the recent Operation Atacama case is one example. Climate change has become a major threat to cacti. A new study, published in Nature*, led by Dr. Michiel (Mich) Pillet of the CSSA Conservation Committee, found that severe drought could push over a quarter of cactus species to the IUCN Red List category of Critically Endangered. This is several times the current number and stresses how important it is to review the extinction risk assessments of our beloved plants. Coauthors of the study include members of the IUCN SSC Cactus and Succulent Plants Specialist Group (CSSG), among them Co-Chairs Dr. Bárbara Goettsch and Dr. Lucas Majure.
* For an overview of the study click here.
Readers may direct questions to Dr. Michiel Pillet.
Conservation is Central to CSSA’s Mission
IUCN Red List assessments help the CSSA Conservation Committee place our efforts in the right places. We have funded projects to protect habitat, curb poaching, clarify taxonomy, and assess the impacts of climate change. However, to continue implementing effective conservation actions for cacti, information on the species, their threats, and potential positive impacts on conservation needs to be updated.
CSSG is preparing to update the Red List assessments for cacti and is actively fundraising and seeking partners to support this work. Threats and conservation status have changed for many species, the taxonomy has shifted, and new species have been described over the last 11 years. The assessments will come out of a process involving regional expert workshops, one each in the United States, Mexico, and South America planned for the middle and end of 2027. Each workshop will cost approximately $25,000.
Help Us Reach the Goal
Will you make a tax-deductible donation to help us deliver these workshops and reassess all known cactus species?
Please direct my contribution to the workshop where it is most needed.
With your generosity and commitment to conservation, we can help secure a future for cacti and the remarkable diversity of life they sustain.
Contact, Irwin Lightstone, the Co-Chair of the Conservation Committee, if you have questions about this project.
Consider supporting these programs by becoming a member or contributing to our Conservation Fund
CSSA Memberships start at only $20/year
Photo credits: Top left, Detlev Metzing; Top right, Daniel Royer; Mid-page right, Richard Schreiber
