What’s in the Bank? Assessing Seed Bank Density of <i>Sclerocactus wrightiae</i>

<b>Abstract: </b>Wright fishhook cactus is a small globose cactus endemic to an area of 280,000 ha in south-central Utah and was listed as endangered in October of 1979, by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). There is a general paucity of information about this species in general, and no published data on the seedbank for any species in the genus. We processed 500 soil samples from various locations near individual cacti and potential neighboring nurse-plants. We found that the species had a detectable seed bank of a size similar to other members of the Cactaceae family. Seedbank densities were highest immediately adjacent to, and downslope from, parent plants.