A Cactus ..and rising tides..

[Silas_Sancona]

Interesting article regarding the local extinction of a spectacular, but fairly unknown arborescent cactus sp in Southern FL. due to rising seas.  How long until native Palms on the Keys suffer the same fate..

https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/science/first-local-extinction-in-the-u-s-due-to-sea-level-rise/
 

[PalmsInBaltimore]

Hard to find a silver lining in that article. I suppose local exctinction in the US is better than total extinction across its entire range in the Caribbean, but wow, such a shame. 

Hopefully the reintroduction efforts will be successful, but it sounds like there's not much natural habibat left in the Keys that would be safe from king tides and storm surges. Hopefully there will be some sort of support and cooperation between Florida and the Bahamas to save and reintroduce the Key Largo cactus. Hopefully the Key tree cactus can be saved in the Keys as well. 

We all know how finicky cacti are about their environment and how easy it is to kill them if you don't know what you're doing. Rare and slow-adapting plants like them are on the frontlines when their environment changes or is degraded. 

And you're right, given how finicky palms can be as well....what would happen if salinity levels in the groundwater keep rising?

[Silas_Sancona]

5 hours ago, PalmsInBaltimore said:

Hard to find a silver lining in that article. I suppose local exctinction in the US is better than total extinction across its entire range in the Caribbean, but wow, such a shame. 

Hopefully the reintroduction efforts will be successful, but it sounds like there's not much natural habibat left in the Keys that would be safe from king tides and storm surges. Hopefully there will be some sort of support and cooperation between Florida and the Bahamas to save and reintroduce the Key Largo cactus. Hopefully the Key tree cactus can be saved in the Keys as well. 

We all know how finicky cacti are about their environment and how easy it is to kill them if you don't know what you're doing. Rare and slow-adapting plants like them are on the frontlines when their environment changes or is degraded. 

And you're right, given how finicky palms can be as well....what would happen if salinity levels in the groundwater keep rising?

Sobering for sure, but not unexpected.   . Joshua Tree, Saguaro,  a certain lineage of Yarrow's Spiny Lizard ...among countless other examples of critters  facing a less than certain future..

If it were me, i'd be looking at other parts of the country ( in Bot. gardens first of course ) where this ..and the sister species of " Keys Tree " cactus could survive, then distribute cuttings or older seedlings to them. 

Would also start getting them into the native plant nurseries down there..

As far as other plants there in the Keys ..and pretty much all of S. FL really / ..and other lower lying coastal areas, would anticipate hearing of various mass plant die offs over the coming decades as  the saltwater intrusion issue comes to a head.  Imagine it won't be too long before folks in such areas start noticing less salt tolerant plants being killed off in bigger #'s in gardens as more and more of the water table closer to the surface shifts to saltier rather than salt -free.

Was a few articles regarding the increasing creep of " Ghost Forests " in coastal N. Carolina not too long ago.