Ecological-niche modeling reveals current opportunities for Agave dryland farming in Sonora, Mexico and Arizona, USA.

ABSTRACT: For centuries, humans occupying arid regions of North America have maintained an intricate relationship with Agave (Agavoideae, Asparagaceae). Today Agave cultivation, primarily for beverage production, provides an economic engine for rural communities throughout Mexico. Among known dryland-farming methods, the use of rock piles and cattle-grazed areas stand out as promising approaches for Agave cultivation. Identifying new cultivation areas to apply these approaches in Arizona, USA and Sonora, Mexico warrants a geographic assessment of areas outside the known ranges of rock piles and grasslands. The objective of this study was to predict areas for dryland-farming of Agave and develop models to identify potential areas for Agave cultivation. We used maximum entropy (MaxEnt) ecological-nich

SUBMITTER: Ortiz Cano HG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9858763 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature