Cycads

Cycads are an ancient group of plants dating back at least 280 million years to the early Permian period (University of Wisconsin Madison, 2024). With over 300 species globally, only nine species, all in the genus Zamia, are known to inhabit the Amazon (Whitelock, 2015).

Not all cycads in the Amazon are endangered. Three species are listed as critically endangered, and one is listed as endangered. Unfortunately, cycads have become the most endangered group of plants in the world (Simmons, 2023). They are particularly vulnerable because they grow slowly, making them less able to respond quickly to environmental changes such as deforestation. This slow growth is an adaptation to tolerate stress, such as the low light conditions found on the forest floor.

Cycads are gymnosperms (cone-bearing plants). They do not have flowers but instead have cones: small male cones that produce pollen and large female cones that produce seeds when pollinated. Interestingly, the cycads in the Amazon and other forest floor environments are pollinated not by wind but by insects, specifically beetles and thrips, despite having cones instead of flowers.

The loss of cycads would be a significant blow to both the natural world and scientific research. These ancient plants offer valuable insights into Earth’s history, and losing them would mean losing an important part of our planet's biological heritage.

References

Cycads (2024) Wisconsin Horticulture Division Extension University of Wisconsin Madison

https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/cycads/#:~:text=The%20oldest%20cycad%20fossils%20date,(along%20with%20the%20dinosaurs).

Whitelock, Loran M. Benadom, Duke. (2015) The Cycads Volume 2 Africa and the Americas

Simmons, Paul (May 17, 2023) Cycads the Primeval Plant Getting Rarer – and Harder to Protect. The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/may/17/cycads-the-primeval-plants-getting-rarer-and-harder-to-protect