RISK IN THE CACTI IN MEXICO!
Overexploitation of cacti of Mexico threatening unique species in the world. The plants provide many benefits to ecosystems. They grow in arid, low humidity. The compact and keep alive thanks to a network built with its roots. Take to grow between 150 and 300 years, so when you pull a copy out of control, it is difficult to replace their biological functions.
diversity of cacti in Mexico
Although it is unknown the extent of illegal trade in cactus, extraction threatens 20 percent of these specimens.
In America there are 1,700 species of cacti, of which Mexico has 800 and despite this abundance, are unknown and little used. Salvador Arias Montes
Although Mexico is the American country with the greatest diversity of cacti, has not benefited from this advantage to generate revenue from the exploitation of these plants, mainly as ornamental product says Salvador Arias, a researcher at the Institute of Biology, National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
In America there are about two thousand species, Mexico has 670 species and 244 subspecies, so it is essential to create a culture for your care and operation. Uses
"The plants have enormous potential for food consumption, for the construction industry, food industry specialist, but there is little research and, above all, little investment," says Zorzano Omar Gonzalez, president of the Mexican Cactus Society.
The plants have many uses: food, taking advantage of their stems, flowers and fruits for nopal, tuna, xoconostle, snacks and meals, among others, the production of beverages such as mead or pulque in traditional medicine and in science, because you can get diuretics, laxatives, healing, anti-ulcer substances and other products.
colors also are available, as scarlet, cochineal (insect that appears in several species of cactus), building material, fiber and livestock feed, as well as use-this is more recent but less exploited, "Ornament , which represents an international industry in the country unexplored and could generate high economic resources.
Endangered
Aporocactus-flagelliformis
Although Mexicans often do not know appreciate them for their great beauty many foreigners have been taken from the country since colonial times, so that their Botanic gardens are more complete than ours.
Factors such as illegal trade and habitat destruction of cacti, a large number of these are in danger of extinction.
There are even guided tours are organized from abroad to remove them from their natural locations. These tours are organized in different "societies of friends of the cactus, common in Europe.
Other looters are the flower vendors: go to areas where cacti are commercially valuable and kill entire populations. Miguel Cházaro
Cházaro researcher Miguel says that Mexico has the largest number of Latin American cacti, which grow mainly in the region covering the states of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon and Coahuila .
"One tenth of cacti in Mexico are endangered by looting foreigners," said the researcher, adding that surveillance of the Federal Environmental Protection has not been enough to stop this process. Achievement
Mexico
Colonel Humberto Ramirez
"Our country is the largest producer and crassulacean cacti (cactus without spines) from around the world so we must begin to support productive projects in all areas "because world demand is currently being supplied by other nations like the United States, Argentina and Brazil, who have a large number of species of plants and horticulture have a more developed infrastructure, said Col. Humberto Ramírez, Coordinator of the Organizing Committee of the fair Fair on Axapusco Cactaceae.
Source: Journal Environmental Theorem
Hernán Castro Rodríguez, Editor Sinopinión.
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