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Cactus Poaching, Legal Harvesting Threat to Desert01-31-03 | News
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WASHINGTON ?EUR??,,????'??? Demand for wild cactus and rare plants by landscapers and plant collectors may soon surpass supply in the Chihuahua Desert, a new study finds. The booming desert landscaping trend, combined with poor regulation of wild plant removal, could deplete some species, the largest ever analysis of trade in Chihuahua Desert cactus found. The report released by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network of World Wildlife Fund ad IUCN, finds that unsustainable trade could endanger certain populations of cacti if measures are not taken to regulate their harvesting. The legal and illegal trade in cacti is fueled by two forces: demand for cactus to use in landscaping and demand by cactophiles ?EUR??,,????'??? collectors who favor rare and newly discovered species. Landscaping that uses drought-tolerant plants like cacti, known as xeriscaping, is booming in cities like Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas. Barrel cactus, prickly pear cactus and saguaro cactus are the most popular species used in landscaping. ?EUR??,,????'??This report has spurred WWF to act,?EUR??,,????'?? said Jennifer Montoya, head of WWF?EUR??,,????'???s Chihuahua Desert ecoregion program offices in Las Cruces, New Mexico. ?EUR??,,????'??We strongly believe that the rise in xeriscaping?EUR??,,????'??+a positive development?EUR??,,????'??+is an opportunity that can help the environment and the struggling economies of rural parts of the Chihuahua Desert.?EUR??,,????'??
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