Arizona: How Climate Change Is Affecting Saguaro Cacti
- Meera Naveen
- Oct 29, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Jun 24, 2024
Ever seen an image of a cactus, a cartoon drawing of one, or even visited a cactus in person? Have you ever marveled at these desert giants (Saguaro cacti are the largest in the U.S)' astonishing, enthralling beauty?
Well then, it's extremely saddening to say that these beauties, which only live in the southwest U.S, are starting to die off due to extreme heat in the state of Arizona and surrounding areas, because of one factor: climate change.
Recently, heat waves and droughts have caused these usually enduring cacti to break, losing arms and collapsing. 2020 is the best example of this. During summer of this year, in Tucson, Arizona, less than two inches of rain fell in a place where it was usually around 6.
Not only that, but in the same year, due to that heat, wildfires took place.
One thing we need to understand about Saguaro cacti is that they might not be as resilient as you think - water is directly connected to their ability to stand up and withstand heat, and without that, an arm can drop, and before you know it, the entire cactus can fall, especially if it is a really old one.
And it's not just the heat - it's the rains. Take a 200 - year - old cactus that had been located in Catalina Park, for example: it withstood so much throughout the years, giving benefits to animals and tourists due to its being a very large cactus, with multiple 'arms', in the area.
Once horrible rainstorms hit, though, the symbolic succulent giant collapsed onto the ground.
And it's not just the cacti that are affected: it's entire systems that are affected. The cacti support many species, and if they collapse, then the entire desert system would collapse, as a result affecting the people living around the area as well.
These cacti have many reasons to live here: they're what make the Sonoran Desert so unique. They're beautiful. They serve for habitats. They support whole desert ecosystems. They support people.
Our planet would not be what it is without these honorable giants, so it's our turn to support them.
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