Echinopsis coquimbana
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Echinopsis coquimbana faces severe pressure from mining activities and urban expansion throughout its limited range in Chile's Atacama region. The species' slow growth rate and restricted distribution make populations particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, while collection for the horticultural trade has further reduced wild numbers. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns in this already arid environment.
Habitat
This endemic cactus inhabits rocky slopes and desert flats in Chile's Atacama Desert region, typically growing on mineral-rich soils between coastal areas and inland valleys. It occurs in extremely arid environments with minimal annual rainfall, often associated with other drought-adapted succulents and sparse shrubland vegetation.
