Swann D. E., Badinger L., Winkler D. E., Davis A. L., Mass mortality of saguaros (Carnegiea gigantea) from windthrow: A rare, demographic disturbance in a desert ecosystem, Ecosphere, 2026, 17(5):e70651, doi: 10.1002/ecs2.70651
An inventory of damage following the 22 August 2023 local downburst in Saguaro National Park and adjoining land. A repeat 2025 survey revealed many additional deaths. The authors analyse plant size, damage type and fall direction, and propose root injury as a hypothesis for delayed mortality.