Abstract Long-lived plant species from arid environments exhibit demographic traits, such as slow growth rates and infrequent recruitment, that make them particularly vulnerable to disturbance and reduce their capacity to recover. Yucca queretaroensis (Asparagaceae), an endemic and rare succulent species that exhibits these traits is among the most illegally trafficked ornamental plants. Illegal poaching for ornamental trade might threaten the species' persistence. This study assessed the density, population structure, and life cycle of Yucca queretaroensis . Across all populations evaluated, the species exhibited very low densities, a population structure dominated by small ramets (< 100 cm tall), and absence of seedlings during the study period. These observations are suggestive of episodic recruitment with extended intervals between germination events. The species exhibits active clonal propagation through the production of suckers, which appears to be a key strategy for population persistence, although it may be potentially detrimental to long-term genetic diversity. Reproductive challenges including infrequent flowering, dependency on specialist pollinators, and low seed germination, combined with habitat specificity, jeopardize the long-term viability of the species. Despite high survival rates across size classes, a scarcity of individuals of intermediate sizes was observed, which could be due to episodic recruitment events, but the possibility of past selective poaching or illegal extraction targeting this size class cannot be excluded. Genetic studies, assisted reproduction protocols, and enhanced ex situ conservation efforts are recommended to support the survival of Y. queretaroensis in the wild.
Pineda et al. (Wed,) studied this question.