TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Lucie AUBOURG, "America's national parks are losing their identity to climate change"
Early stages of a new arm sprout from the side of a Saguaro Cactus in Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona, on November 19, 2023. The park has the largest concentration of iconic saguaro cacti in the country, approximately two million of the towering desert plants. These resilient cacti that evolved to cope with ultra-arid environments are facing hidden threats as a result of a drought that began around 30 years ago. During this period buffelgrass, began to colonize the park. This invasive weed, introduced from Africa as livestock fodder, fuels fires that have ravaged saguaros in the past, as in 1994 and 1999. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP)