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Global Cactus Traffickers Are Cleaning Out the Deserts
- twiddling 5y agoReminds me of the gangs in the Northwest who clear out Salal from public and private forests to send back to the Netherlands for the global flower trade.
- kokanator 5y agoThis used to be the case with ferns as well. You could sell bundles of ferns to the flower trade. In a lot of old growth, ferns are the primary plant and this would wipe out the entire undergrowth.
- cmpb 5y agoThere is a similar problem with native orchids in some states in the US. Many people who come across one in the wild will attempt to collect it, which prohibits the plant from reproducing in its natural range. And due to the rarity of these plants, it doesn't take many members of the species to be removed before the species begins to experience pressure. There are some attempts being made to reintroduce some of the more pressured species, e.g. https://www.centrallouisianaorchidsociety.org/cypripedium-study.html https://www.centrallouisianaorchidsociety.org/cypripedium-st...