Copiapoa conglomerata
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Copiapoa conglomerata faces severe threats from illegal collection for the international cactus trade, with its distinctive clustering growth form making it highly sought after by collectors. Mining activities and urban development in Chile's coastal desert regions continue to destroy its extremely limited habitat. Climate change poses additional risks through altered precipitation patterns in its already arid environment, while the species' slow growth rate severely limits its ability to recover from population losses.
Habitat
This species inhabits the hyperarid coastal desert of northern Chile, specifically growing on rocky slopes and gravelly flats in the Atacama Desert region. It occurs in extremely dry conditions with minimal annual rainfall, typically found on mineral-rich soils between coastal hills and inland valleys.
