Effects of intraspecific crowding on water uptake, water storage, apical growth, and reproductive potential in the sahuaro cactus, Carnegiea gigantea

• Published in: Botanical gazette (Chicago, Ill.) Ill.), 1986-09, Vol.147 (3), p.334-341
• Main Authors: McAuliffe, Joseph R., Janzen, Fredric J.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: absorcion de agua; absorption d' eau; Animal and plant ecology; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Biological and medical sciences; cactaceae; Cactus; Demecology; desert; Deserts; desiertos; Forest canopy; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Mathematical independent variables; Multiple regression; Plant growth; plant population; plant water relations; plantas; plante; Plants; Plants and fungi; poblacion vegetal; population vegetale; relaciones planta agua; relation plante eau; Timber; Water consumption; Water uptake
• ISSN: 0006-8071; 1940-1205
• DOI: 10.1086/337600

In the Sonoran Desert the giant columnar cactus, Carnegiea gigantea, often shows a highly clumped distribution because of its frequent establishment beneath tree canopies. An apparent consequence of this distribution pattern, where several Carnegiea are associated with a single tree, is intraspecific competition for limited water. The relative amount of stored water, rate of water uptake, apical growth, and reproductive potential of individual Carnegiea are all lowered as a function of increased levels of intraspecific crowding. These ecological interactions may ultimately affect survivorship and influence patterns of distribution and abundance of this cactus species.