Cordero S., Unamuno B., Escobar C., Vergara M. A., Roselló I., Villarroel J., Guerrero P. C., Copiapoa cacti as multitrophic interaction hubs and thermal refugia in the hyper-arid Atacama Desert, Journal of Arid Environments, 2026, 236:105659, doi: 10.1016/j.jaridenv.2026.105659
The study of 19 Copiapoa species documents associations with herbivores, flower visitors, predators, lichens and parasitic plants. Direct observations, camera traps and thermography also show the role of stems as thermal refuges for animals.