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The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is a keystone species that grows only in the Sonoran Desert of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. The USGS’ Southwest Biological Science Center is working to better understand the species’ biological features, its role as a keystone species that supports greater than 100 other plant and animal species, and its responses to climate change across the Sonoran Desert.
Research on saguaros over the past century has revealed much about the plant’s growth, reproduction, populations. Saguaro National Park was established (1933) and expanded (1995) to “preserve the exceptional growth thereon of various species of cacti and the prime Sonoran desert habitat that the saguaro lives in.” Saguaros provide habitat for sensitive cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl and endangered lesser long-nosed bat. Due to the integrated threat of climate change and invasive grasses, Saguaro National Park was named one of the country’s 25 most imperiled national parks in 2009.
A 2018 study examined saguaro population regeneration across the National Park and its variable terrain that stretches from low-elevation sandy bajadas in the valleys to higher-elevation rocky slopes (pictured right). The study revealed that saguaro establishment park-wide is strongly positively correlated with the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), a standardized index of dryness that spans from -6 (dry) to +6 (wet). In other words, when the index is less than -2, few saguaro seedlings endure. Saguaro establishment surged during the period of high annual precipitation in the 1980s but has slowed since, coinciding with a prolonged drought. In the current drought, lower precipitation has been exacerbated by higher temperatures that dry soils and may prevent younger plants from reaching a size where they are able to store sufficient water to survive. Interestingly, the 2018 study also found that some saguaros have established in recent years in very rocky areas, suggesting that they may be able to take advantage of water captured in rock cracks.
Read the full study and National Park Service report:
Winkler, D. E., Conver, J. L., Huxman, T. E., and Swann, D. E. 2018, The interaction of drought and habitat explain space–time patterns of establishment in saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecology, v. 99 no. 3, p. 621-631, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2124
Swann, D.E., Winkler, D.E., Conver, J.L., and Foley, T. 2021, Climate change and other factors influencing the saguaro cactus: Intermountain Park Science, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/climate-change-and-other-factors-influencing-the-saguaro-cactus.htm
Saguaros produce large, white, fragrant flowers near their crown during April–June, which bloom at night and close the following day.
Over a four-year period, Research Ecologist Daniel Winkler at the Southwest Biological Science Center, in partnership with Saguaro National Park, used historic and current data collected by National Park Service staff, USGS scientists, and community scientist volunteers to understand a phenomenon that was first observed in 1924, but not described, in which saguaro cacti produce flowers in a radial pattern. Their findings revealed that blooms emerge in the east at the beginning of their reproductive season, and continue to flower in a counterclockwise pattern around their stems — the only known flowering plant to do so.
A key component to collecting data was the use of a collapsible flag pole (referred to as the "world's largest selfie stick"; pictured left) to photograph flowers throughout the spring.
This research team will now study the full, 5-year dataset to examine the environmental triggers that initiate flowering and fruiting. The team will also identify potential influences from future climate change that may lead to impacts on pollinators and the many other species dependent on saguaro fruits for their own survival.
Read the full study: Foley, T., Swann, D.E., Sotelo, G., Perkins, N., and Winkler, D.E., 2021, Asynchronous flowering patterns in saguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecosphere, v. 12, no. 12, e03873, p. 1-14, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3873.
The impacts of climate change on the iconic saguaro cactus remain poorly understood but climate is known to directly affect regeneration and establishment, and probably explains the reduced recruitment of saguaros in the park during the past two decades. Saguaros are well-known for having “nurse trees”; that is, for being part of a nurse-protégé relationship with desert trees that provides protection from extreme heat and cold (see photo right). The relationship is poorly understood, but it seems possible that climate change could have indirect effects on saguaros by altering the nurse-protégé relationship.
Scientists at the Southwest Biological Science Center are actively working with biologists at Saguaro National Park and the Sonoran Desert Network to uncover the relationships between saguaros and their nurses. Preliminary evidence suggests that saguaros shift their water-use strategies throughout the year and may benefit from water passed from nurse tree roots into shallow surface soils during periods of drought through a process called hydraulic redistribution.
The necessity of understanding the influence of environmental drivers on saguaro distributions is nothing new; scientists have been studying the species and its complicated relationship with water for more than a century. The USGS’ collaboration with Saguaro National Park will likely produce a greater understanding of this iconic species and the fascinating ways it interacts and persists in water-limited Sonoran Desert ecosystems.
Foley, T., Swann, D.E., Sotelo, G., Perkins, N., and Winkler, D.E., 2021, Asynchronous flowering patterns in saguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecosphere, v. 12, no. 12, e03873, p. 1-14, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3873.
Swann, D.E., Winkler, D.E., Conver, J.L., and Foley, T. 2021, Climate change and other factors influencing the saguaro cactus: Intermountain Park Science, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/climate-change-and-other-factors-influencing-the-saguaro-cactus.htm.
Winkler, D., and Brooks, E., 2020, Tracing extremes across iconic desert landscapes—Socio-ecological and cultural responses to climate change, water scarcity, and wildflower superblooms: Human Ecology, v. 48, no. 2, p. 211-223, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-020-00145-5.
Mohan, J.E., Wadgymar, S.M., Winkler, D.E., Anderson, J.T., Frankson, P.T., Hannifin, R., Benavides, K., Kueppers, L.M., and Melillo, J.M., 2019, Plant reproductive fitness and phenology responses to climate warming: Results from native populations, communities, and ecosystems—Chapter 3, in Mohan, J.E., ed., Ecosystem Consequences of Soil Warming—Microbes, Vegetation, Fauna and Soil Biogeochemistry: Academic Press, p. 61-102, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813493-1.00004-1.
Rodríguez‐Buriticá, S., Winkler, D.E., Webb, R.H., and Venable, D.L., 2019, Local temporal trajectories explain population‐level responses to climate change in saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecosphere, v. 10, no. 8, e02844, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2844.
Winkler, D.E., Conver, J.L., Huxman, T.E., and Swann, D.E., 2018, The iconic saguaro cactus across its landscape: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, v. 99, no. 3, p. 329-339, https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1401.
Winkler, D.E., Conver, J.L., Huxman, T.E., and Swann, D.E. 2018, The interaction of drought and habitat explain space–time patterns of establishment in saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecology, v. 99 no. 3, p. 621-631, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2124.
Winkler, D.E., Conver, J.L., Huxman, T.E., and Swann, D.E., 2017, The interaction of drought and habitat explain space–time patterns of establishment in saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecology, v. 99, no. 3, p. 621-631, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2124.
Conver, J.L., Foley, T., Winkler, D.E., and Swann, D.E., 2017, Demographic changes over >70 yr in a population of saguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea) in the northern Sonoran Desert: Journal of Arid Environments, v. 139, p. 41-48, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2016.12.008.
A repeat photographic series of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. The earliest photo, courtesy of the National Park Service (NPS; public domain image) was taken in 1935 of the abundant 'cactus forest' of saguaros (Carnegiea gigantea).
A repeat photographic series of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. The earliest photo, courtesy of the National Park Service (NPS; public domain image) was taken in 1935 of the abundant 'cactus forest' of saguaros (Carnegiea gigantea).
A female cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum) in N. Sonora, Mexico, June 2022. Photo by Aaron Flesch, University of Arizona, Tucson, used with permission by USGS.
A female cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum) in N. Sonora, Mexico, June 2022. Photo by Aaron Flesch, University of Arizona, Tucson, used with permission by USGS.
A bee visits a saguaro flower near Tucson in Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
A bee visits a saguaro flower near Tucson in Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
A saguaro flowering in the desert near Tucson, AZ. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS, SBSC. Taken in spring, 2022.
A saguaro flowering in the desert near Tucson, AZ. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS, SBSC. Taken in spring, 2022.
Bromus Rubens (red brome) is an invasive annual grass that grows in warmer deserts of the Southwest U.S. It can carry fires in systems that aren't fire adapted, causing lasting damage to desert flora, as shown here in the Sonoran desert north of Phoenix, AZ.
Bromus Rubens (red brome) is an invasive annual grass that grows in warmer deserts of the Southwest U.S. It can carry fires in systems that aren't fire adapted, causing lasting damage to desert flora, as shown here in the Sonoran desert north of Phoenix, AZ.
Saguaro cacti flower and produce fruit in the spring in Tucson, Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo by Daniel Winkler, SBSC, USGS.
Saguaro cacti flower and produce fruit in the spring in Tucson, Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo by Daniel Winkler, SBSC, USGS.
Southwest Biological Science center research ecologist Daniel Winkler photographs the top of a saguaro using the "world's largest selfie stick" to collect phenology data for a study that examined saguaro flowering patterns.
Southwest Biological Science center research ecologist Daniel Winkler photographs the top of a saguaro using the "world's largest selfie stick" to collect phenology data for a study that examined saguaro flowering patterns.
Similar aged saguaros can often be found in groups where nurse trees once stood. Nurse debris remains in place for years after the nurse died. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
Similar aged saguaros can often be found in groups where nurse trees once stood. Nurse debris remains in place for years after the nurse died. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
This camera station is located on a hill within the newly established Saguaro National Monument near Tucson. The view is northeast toward Agua Caliente Hill and looks down a gentle incline that drains into Tanque Verde Creek. The saguaro stand pictured here is a particularly memorable one because of the many large individuals and absence of small ones.
This camera station is located on a hill within the newly established Saguaro National Monument near Tucson. The view is northeast toward Agua Caliente Hill and looks down a gentle incline that drains into Tanque Verde Creek. The saguaro stand pictured here is a particularly memorable one because of the many large individuals and absence of small ones.
Steep, rocky slopes in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, AZ provide habitat for saguaros and may buffer populations from the negative effects of drought. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
Steep, rocky slopes in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, AZ provide habitat for saguaros and may buffer populations from the negative effects of drought. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Saguaro National Monument is now Saguaro National Park. The decline is saguaros has continued but at a rate slightly less steep than predicted. Very few of the saguaro present in 1935 remain. Meanwhile, the regeneration of this forest has already begun, as shown by findings from a long-term study-plot located at left midground.
Saguaro National Monument is now Saguaro National Park. The decline is saguaros has continued but at a rate slightly less steep than predicted. Very few of the saguaro present in 1935 remain. Meanwhile, the regeneration of this forest has already begun, as shown by findings from a long-term study-plot located at left midground.
This is the original photograph in a repeat photographic series of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 1935 and is courtesy of the National Park Service (NPS; public domain image) of the abundant 'cactus forest' of saguaros (Carnegiea gigantea).
This is the original photograph in a repeat photographic series of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 1935 and is courtesy of the National Park Service (NPS; public domain image) of the abundant 'cactus forest' of saguaros (Carnegiea gigantea).
Arizona saquaro will be one of the species looked at by USA-NPN volunteers.
Arizona saquaro will be one of the species looked at by USA-NPN volunteers.
The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is a keystone species that grows only in the Sonoran Desert of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. The USGS’ Southwest Biological Science Center is working to better understand the species’ biological features, its role as a keystone species that supports greater than 100 other plant and animal species, and its responses to climate change across the Sonoran Desert.
Research on saguaros over the past century has revealed much about the plant’s growth, reproduction, populations. Saguaro National Park was established (1933) and expanded (1995) to “preserve the exceptional growth thereon of various species of cacti and the prime Sonoran desert habitat that the saguaro lives in.” Saguaros provide habitat for sensitive cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl and endangered lesser long-nosed bat. Due to the integrated threat of climate change and invasive grasses, Saguaro National Park was named one of the country’s 25 most imperiled national parks in 2009.
A 2018 study examined saguaro population regeneration across the National Park and its variable terrain that stretches from low-elevation sandy bajadas in the valleys to higher-elevation rocky slopes (pictured right). The study revealed that saguaro establishment park-wide is strongly positively correlated with the Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), a standardized index of dryness that spans from -6 (dry) to +6 (wet). In other words, when the index is less than -2, few saguaro seedlings endure. Saguaro establishment surged during the period of high annual precipitation in the 1980s but has slowed since, coinciding with a prolonged drought. In the current drought, lower precipitation has been exacerbated by higher temperatures that dry soils and may prevent younger plants from reaching a size where they are able to store sufficient water to survive. Interestingly, the 2018 study also found that some saguaros have established in recent years in very rocky areas, suggesting that they may be able to take advantage of water captured in rock cracks.
Read the full study and National Park Service report:
Winkler, D. E., Conver, J. L., Huxman, T. E., and Swann, D. E. 2018, The interaction of drought and habitat explain space–time patterns of establishment in saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecology, v. 99 no. 3, p. 621-631, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2124
Swann, D.E., Winkler, D.E., Conver, J.L., and Foley, T. 2021, Climate change and other factors influencing the saguaro cactus: Intermountain Park Science, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/climate-change-and-other-factors-influencing-the-saguaro-cactus.htm
Saguaros produce large, white, fragrant flowers near their crown during April–June, which bloom at night and close the following day.
Over a four-year period, Research Ecologist Daniel Winkler at the Southwest Biological Science Center, in partnership with Saguaro National Park, used historic and current data collected by National Park Service staff, USGS scientists, and community scientist volunteers to understand a phenomenon that was first observed in 1924, but not described, in which saguaro cacti produce flowers in a radial pattern. Their findings revealed that blooms emerge in the east at the beginning of their reproductive season, and continue to flower in a counterclockwise pattern around their stems — the only known flowering plant to do so.
A key component to collecting data was the use of a collapsible flag pole (referred to as the "world's largest selfie stick"; pictured left) to photograph flowers throughout the spring.
This research team will now study the full, 5-year dataset to examine the environmental triggers that initiate flowering and fruiting. The team will also identify potential influences from future climate change that may lead to impacts on pollinators and the many other species dependent on saguaro fruits for their own survival.
Read the full study: Foley, T., Swann, D.E., Sotelo, G., Perkins, N., and Winkler, D.E., 2021, Asynchronous flowering patterns in saguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecosphere, v. 12, no. 12, e03873, p. 1-14, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3873.
The impacts of climate change on the iconic saguaro cactus remain poorly understood but climate is known to directly affect regeneration and establishment, and probably explains the reduced recruitment of saguaros in the park during the past two decades. Saguaros are well-known for having “nurse trees”; that is, for being part of a nurse-protégé relationship with desert trees that provides protection from extreme heat and cold (see photo right). The relationship is poorly understood, but it seems possible that climate change could have indirect effects on saguaros by altering the nurse-protégé relationship.
Scientists at the Southwest Biological Science Center are actively working with biologists at Saguaro National Park and the Sonoran Desert Network to uncover the relationships between saguaros and their nurses. Preliminary evidence suggests that saguaros shift their water-use strategies throughout the year and may benefit from water passed from nurse tree roots into shallow surface soils during periods of drought through a process called hydraulic redistribution.
The necessity of understanding the influence of environmental drivers on saguaro distributions is nothing new; scientists have been studying the species and its complicated relationship with water for more than a century. The USGS’ collaboration with Saguaro National Park will likely produce a greater understanding of this iconic species and the fascinating ways it interacts and persists in water-limited Sonoran Desert ecosystems.
Foley, T., Swann, D.E., Sotelo, G., Perkins, N., and Winkler, D.E., 2021, Asynchronous flowering patterns in saguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecosphere, v. 12, no. 12, e03873, p. 1-14, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3873.
Swann, D.E., Winkler, D.E., Conver, J.L., and Foley, T. 2021, Climate change and other factors influencing the saguaro cactus: Intermountain Park Science, https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/climate-change-and-other-factors-influencing-the-saguaro-cactus.htm.
Winkler, D., and Brooks, E., 2020, Tracing extremes across iconic desert landscapes—Socio-ecological and cultural responses to climate change, water scarcity, and wildflower superblooms: Human Ecology, v. 48, no. 2, p. 211-223, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-020-00145-5.
Mohan, J.E., Wadgymar, S.M., Winkler, D.E., Anderson, J.T., Frankson, P.T., Hannifin, R., Benavides, K., Kueppers, L.M., and Melillo, J.M., 2019, Plant reproductive fitness and phenology responses to climate warming: Results from native populations, communities, and ecosystems—Chapter 3, in Mohan, J.E., ed., Ecosystem Consequences of Soil Warming—Microbes, Vegetation, Fauna and Soil Biogeochemistry: Academic Press, p. 61-102, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-813493-1.00004-1.
Rodríguez‐Buriticá, S., Winkler, D.E., Webb, R.H., and Venable, D.L., 2019, Local temporal trajectories explain population‐level responses to climate change in saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecosphere, v. 10, no. 8, e02844, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.2844.
Winkler, D.E., Conver, J.L., Huxman, T.E., and Swann, D.E., 2018, The iconic saguaro cactus across its landscape: Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, v. 99, no. 3, p. 329-339, https://doi.org/10.1002/bes2.1401.
Winkler, D.E., Conver, J.L., Huxman, T.E., and Swann, D.E. 2018, The interaction of drought and habitat explain space–time patterns of establishment in saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecology, v. 99 no. 3, p. 621-631, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2124.
Winkler, D.E., Conver, J.L., Huxman, T.E., and Swann, D.E., 2017, The interaction of drought and habitat explain space–time patterns of establishment in saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea): Ecology, v. 99, no. 3, p. 621-631, https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.2124.
Conver, J.L., Foley, T., Winkler, D.E., and Swann, D.E., 2017, Demographic changes over >70 yr in a population of saguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea) in the northern Sonoran Desert: Journal of Arid Environments, v. 139, p. 41-48, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaridenv.2016.12.008.
A repeat photographic series of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. The earliest photo, courtesy of the National Park Service (NPS; public domain image) was taken in 1935 of the abundant 'cactus forest' of saguaros (Carnegiea gigantea).
A repeat photographic series of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. The earliest photo, courtesy of the National Park Service (NPS; public domain image) was taken in 1935 of the abundant 'cactus forest' of saguaros (Carnegiea gigantea).
A female cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum) in N. Sonora, Mexico, June 2022. Photo by Aaron Flesch, University of Arizona, Tucson, used with permission by USGS.
A female cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl (Glaucidium brasilianum cactorum) in N. Sonora, Mexico, June 2022. Photo by Aaron Flesch, University of Arizona, Tucson, used with permission by USGS.
A bee visits a saguaro flower near Tucson in Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
A bee visits a saguaro flower near Tucson in Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
A saguaro flowering in the desert near Tucson, AZ. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS, SBSC. Taken in spring, 2022.
A saguaro flowering in the desert near Tucson, AZ. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS, SBSC. Taken in spring, 2022.
Bromus Rubens (red brome) is an invasive annual grass that grows in warmer deserts of the Southwest U.S. It can carry fires in systems that aren't fire adapted, causing lasting damage to desert flora, as shown here in the Sonoran desert north of Phoenix, AZ.
Bromus Rubens (red brome) is an invasive annual grass that grows in warmer deserts of the Southwest U.S. It can carry fires in systems that aren't fire adapted, causing lasting damage to desert flora, as shown here in the Sonoran desert north of Phoenix, AZ.
Saguaro cacti flower and produce fruit in the spring in Tucson, Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo by Daniel Winkler, SBSC, USGS.
Saguaro cacti flower and produce fruit in the spring in Tucson, Saguaro National Park, southern Arizona. Photo by Daniel Winkler, SBSC, USGS.
Southwest Biological Science center research ecologist Daniel Winkler photographs the top of a saguaro using the "world's largest selfie stick" to collect phenology data for a study that examined saguaro flowering patterns.
Southwest Biological Science center research ecologist Daniel Winkler photographs the top of a saguaro using the "world's largest selfie stick" to collect phenology data for a study that examined saguaro flowering patterns.
Similar aged saguaros can often be found in groups where nurse trees once stood. Nurse debris remains in place for years after the nurse died. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
Similar aged saguaros can often be found in groups where nurse trees once stood. Nurse debris remains in place for years after the nurse died. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
This camera station is located on a hill within the newly established Saguaro National Monument near Tucson. The view is northeast toward Agua Caliente Hill and looks down a gentle incline that drains into Tanque Verde Creek. The saguaro stand pictured here is a particularly memorable one because of the many large individuals and absence of small ones.
This camera station is located on a hill within the newly established Saguaro National Monument near Tucson. The view is northeast toward Agua Caliente Hill and looks down a gentle incline that drains into Tanque Verde Creek. The saguaro stand pictured here is a particularly memorable one because of the many large individuals and absence of small ones.
Steep, rocky slopes in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, AZ provide habitat for saguaros and may buffer populations from the negative effects of drought. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
Steep, rocky slopes in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, AZ provide habitat for saguaros and may buffer populations from the negative effects of drought. Photo courtesy of Daniel Winkler, USGS SBSC.
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Repeat photograph of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 2010 by Dr. Ray Turner, USGS and is a match of a 1935 photograph taken by the National Park Service (NPS).
Saguaro National Monument is now Saguaro National Park. The decline is saguaros has continued but at a rate slightly less steep than predicted. Very few of the saguaro present in 1935 remain. Meanwhile, the regeneration of this forest has already begun, as shown by findings from a long-term study-plot located at left midground.
Saguaro National Monument is now Saguaro National Park. The decline is saguaros has continued but at a rate slightly less steep than predicted. Very few of the saguaro present in 1935 remain. Meanwhile, the regeneration of this forest has already begun, as shown by findings from a long-term study-plot located at left midground.
This is the original photograph in a repeat photographic series of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 1935 and is courtesy of the National Park Service (NPS; public domain image) of the abundant 'cactus forest' of saguaros (Carnegiea gigantea).
This is the original photograph in a repeat photographic series of Saguaro National Monument (now Saguaro National Park) East, Rincon Mountain District. This photo was taken in 1935 and is courtesy of the National Park Service (NPS; public domain image) of the abundant 'cactus forest' of saguaros (Carnegiea gigantea).
Arizona saquaro will be one of the species looked at by USA-NPN volunteers.
Arizona saquaro will be one of the species looked at by USA-NPN volunteers.
