Rojas-Pimentel J., Larios E., González E. J., Root contraction does not increase long-term population growth in Pediocactus bradyi, an endangered cactus of Northern Arizona, AoB PLANTS, 2026, 18(1):plaf074, doi: 10.1093/aobpla/plaf074
An analysis of 31-year histories of 965 Pediocactus bradyi plants. The integral projection model links size with survival, growth, flowering, retreat below the surface and re-emergence. A model incorporating root contraction was compared with one omitting the process. Survival and growth had the greatest influence on dynamics, and emergence from the concealed state had greater elasticity than entry into it.