Conservación in situ y ex situ de las agaváceas y nolináceas mexicanas
The Agavaceae and Nolinaceae, as other plant families, have been affected by the destruction and modification of their habitats and by selective extraction with commercial purposes of some of their species. This has generated that 48 species of Agavaceae and Nolinaceae have been included in the list of Mexican plants in risk of extinction (NOM-059-ECOL-l 994), and two of them (Agave parviflora and Agave victoriae-reginae) are listed in the appendices of CITES. There are 30 Protected Natural Areas that conserve in situ at least one species of the Agavaceae or Nolinaceae. The ex situ conservation is done in 38 Botanical Gardens, 22 of them include in their collections at least one species of these families. There are also eight commercial nurseries that have started the propagation by seed of 12 species, mainly from the genus Agave. Case studies on Agave victoriae-reginae, Beaucarnea recurvata and Yucca schidigera, are also analyzed.