Growth and Survival of Endemic Cacti under Different Substrate Types and Sun Exposures for Their Optimal Establishment in Northeastern Mexico

Abstract

Cactaceae are subject to strong anthropogenic pressure, which motivates the search of strategies for its conservation. This paper aimed to evaluate the survival and growth of eight native species from northeastern Mexico, in order to propose their in-situ conservation, applying three substrates (perlite/peat-moss, zeolite/peat-moss and natural soil), in two sun exposures (west and east). The variability of both survival and growth resulted dependent on substrate type and sun exposure. Astrophytum myriostigma presented higher diameter at eastern aspects (51.20 and 42.63 mm on zeolite/peat-moss and perlite/peat-moss, respectively), and the higher heights were also registered at eastern aspects, with Sclerocactus scheeri (7.38.cm on perlite/peat-moss and 6.98 cm on natural soil) and A. myriostigma (6.8 cm on zeolite/peat-moss and 6.08 cm on perlite/peat-moss). As for survival, the highest value (100%) was recorded with the treatments of West-Zeolite/peat-moss and East-Perlite/peat-moss, in six of the eight species evaluated (A. myriostigma, Acharagma roseana, Escobaria dasyacantha, S. scheeri and Mammillaria prolifera), while the lowest value (0%) was recorded with M. plumosa in the three western combinations. The best growth and survival responses were observed in A. myriostigma and S. scheeri under east exposure and zeolite, being the best combination, to be considered for their optimal establishment.

Keywords

• Cactaceae
• seedlings survival
• cacti growth
• zeolite substrate
• sun exposure