Transparency
Sources and Corrections
Every article and character profile in CACactus carries a source status, review state and correction record. This page lists all publicly displayed and prototype content with its current status. Corrections are logged with the original publication date, correction date and substance.
Source policy
Every factual claim must be traceable to a source. Sources are disclosed on each article. The source hierarchy is: statutes, regulations and official records first; peer-reviewed research and authoritative scientific syntheses second; federal, state, tribal and local agencies third; universities, museums and recognized research institutions fourth; responsible nonprofit and professional sources fifth; news reporting for current events, corroborated against primary records where possible.
A starting institution is not support for a claim until the specific page, record, dataset, study, date, geography and language have been checked. Character perspective, scientific inference and advocacy are labeled separately from verified facts.
Human review is required before publication. No article is published without human editorial approval. Content currently labeled 'Prototype' or 'Pending human approval' has not been approved for publication.
Biological soil crust recovery timelines: the ranges cited in CACactus drafts (decades to centuries) are consistent with published research including Belnap & Lange (eds.), Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function, and Management (Springer, 2001) and Belnap, J. (2003) 'The world at your feet: desert biological soil crusts,' Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 1(4):181–189. Specific recovery rates depend on crust type (cyanobacterial, lichen, moss), precipitation regime, disturbance type and intensity. These sources must be cited with page numbers and geography before any specific figure is presented as verified in a published article.
Correction policy
Corrections are logged with the original publication date, correction date and substance. Factual errors are corrected promptly. Corrections are never deleted from the record.
Botanical and policy reference register
Direct authorities for species identification, habitat, ecological claims, conservation status, drought, wildfire, restoration, land management, and Rights of Nature legal claims cited or relied upon in CACactus content. Each entry shows the issuing body or journal, title, date or year, direct link where available, and the claim it supports.
Opuntia basilaris Engelm. & J.M.Bigelow — Beavertail cactus
Claim supported: Species identification, range, and habitat for Beavertail (Opuntia basilaris): Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, and desert transition zones of California.
https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=35879Opuntia littoralis (Engelm.) Cockerell — Coastal prickly pear
Claim supported: Species identification, range, and habitat for Coast (Opuntia littoralis): coastal sage scrub and chaparral of Southern California.
https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=35891Ferocactus cylindraceus (Engelm.) Orcutt — California barrel cactus
Claim supported: Species identification, range, and habitat for Redspine (Ferocactus cylindraceus): Mojave and Sonoran Deserts of California.
https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=28891California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB) — Special Plants List
Claim supported: Conservation status and occurrence records for native California plant species including cacti; basis for habitat protection claims.
https://wildlife.ca.gov/Data/CNDDB/Plants-and-LichensBiological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function, and Management
Claim supported: Biological soil crust structure, function, and recovery timelines after disturbance. Basis for claims that BSC recovery ranges from decades to centuries depending on crust type, precipitation regime, and disturbance intensity.
https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-642-56475-8The world at your feet: desert biological soil crusts. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 1(4):181–189
Claim supported: Biological soil crust ecology, disturbance sensitivity, and recovery timelines. Peer-reviewed support for BSC recovery range claims in CACactus drafts.
https://doi.org/10.1890/1540-9295(2003)001[0181:TWAYFD]2.0.CO;2Human influence on California fire regimes. Ecological Applications 17(5):1388–1402
Claim supported: Human influence on California fire regimes, including altered fire frequency in coastal sage scrub and chaparral. Basis for fire ecology claims in Coast character content.
https://doi.org/10.1890/06-1128.1Role of fire in regeneration from seed. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics 31:237–261
Claim supported: Fire-adapted regeneration in California shrublands including coastal sage scrub. Basis for claims about fire cycle disruption by invasive grasses.
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.31.1.237Mojave Desert Ecosystem Program — Biological Soil Crust Monitoring
Claim supported: Federal land management context for biological soil crust protection in the Mojave Desert. Basis for land management claims in Beavertail and Redspine content.
https://www.blm.gov/programs/natural-resources/soil/biological-soil-crustsCoastal California Gnatcatcher (Polioptila californica californica) — Species Profile
Claim supported: Coastal California gnatcatcher dependence on coastal sage scrub habitat. Basis for habitat corridor and fragmentation claims in Coast character content.
https://www.fws.gov/species/coastal-california-gnatcatcher-polioptila-californica-californicaCactus Wren (Campylorhynchus brunneicapillus) — Species Account
Claim supported: Cactus wren dependence on coastal sage scrub and cactus habitat. Basis for habitat fragmentation and corridor claims in Coast character content.
https://wildlife.ca.gov/Conservation/Birds/Cactus-WrenPrinciples of Conservation Biology, 3rd ed.
Claim supported: Habitat fragmentation, minimum viable patch size, and species loss rates in fragmented landscapes. Basis for patch-size threshold claims in Coast character content.
https://www.sinauer.com/principles-of-conservation-biology.htmlA Field Guide to Western Reptiles and Amphibians, 3rd ed.
Claim supported: Coastal horned lizard (Phrynosoma blainvillii) habitat requirements in coastal sage scrub. Basis for lizard habitat claims in Coast character content.
https://ucpress.edu/book/9780395982754/a-field-guide-to-western-reptiles-and-amphibiansHabitat Selection in Birds
Claim supported: Bird habitat selection and territory requirements in shrubland ecosystems. Background authority for bird-habitat claims in Coast character content.
https://www.elsevier.com/books/habitat-selection-in-birds/cody/978-0-12-178080-7Wild Earth Guardians v. BLM, No. 1:12-cv-00479 (D.N.M. 2014)
Claim supported: Legal precedent for challenging federal land management decisions on ecological grounds. Background authority for land management and rights-of-nature legal claims.
https://casetext.com/case/wild-earth-guardians-v-bureau-of-land-mgmt-3Rights of Nature: Timeline of Recognition
Claim supported: Global timeline of Rights of Nature legal recognition. Background authority for Rights of Nature legal claims on the /rights-of-nature page.
https://celdf.org/rights-of-nature/timeline/Constitution of Ecuador, Chapter 7: Rights of Nature (Articles 71–74)
Claim supported: First national constitutional recognition of Rights of Nature. Primary legal authority for Rights of Nature claims.
https://pdba.georgetown.edu/Constitutions/Ecuador/english08.htmlInventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California — Online Edition
Claim supported: Rarity, threat status, and conservation priority for California native plants including cacti. Basis for conservation status claims.
https://www.rareplants.cnps.org/California Drought and Wildlife — Drought Impacts on Wildlife and Habitats
Claim supported: Drought impacts on California wildlife and habitats. Background authority for drought claims in Beavertail character content.
https://wildlife.ca.gov/droughtA Manual of California Vegetation, 2nd ed.
Claim supported: Authoritative classification of California plant communities including coastal sage scrub, Mojave Desert scrub, and desert pavement communities. Basis for habitat description claims.
https://www.cnps.org/vegetation/manual-of-california-vegetationRooted Time — editorial comparison note
The Rooted Time framework on the homepage presents comparisons between human planning timelines and ecological timelines. These comparisons are illustrative only — not universal biological timetables and not citable figures. Specific values — growth rates, soil-crust recovery ranges, monitoring periods — vary by species, site conditions, disturbance intensity and recovery measure. The comparisons are intended to show the scale mismatch between project timelines and ecological timelines. Sourced, peer-reviewed ranges will replace these illustrative figures as ecological review is completed. Do not cite these figures.
Articles
Survival Is Not Permission to Take Everything Else
BeavertailPrototype — not approved for publication
Sources pending editorial review. Drought tolerance duration, biological soil crust recovery timelines and growth rates require peer-reviewed citations with specific author, journal, year and geography. See source policy note on BSC recovery literature.
Corrections
No corrections logged.
The Empty Lot That Was Never Empty
CoastPrototype — not approved for publication
Sources pending editorial review. Habitat patch size thresholds, species loss rates and corridor connectivity claims require peer-reviewed citations with specific author, journal, year and geography.
Corrections
· Editorial review — change-control phase
Article excerpt revised in draft. Removed: invented specific street intersection (Sepulveda and Rosecrans) presented as a real location; specific wildlife population counts (three cactus wren territories, two coastal horned lizard populations) presented as documented observations; specific distance measurement (400 meters) presented as measured fact; first-person framing presenting a fictional AI character as a tracker and witness of real wildlife at a real site. Replaced with general editorial perspective consistent with verified ecological information about coastal sage scrub habitat. Reclassification: excerpt now clearly represents character perspective on a general pattern, not a report of specific observed events. Human review required before publication.
Mitigation Measured in the Wrong Lifetimes
RedspinePrototype — not approved for publication
Sources pending editorial review. Barrel cactus growth rates and biological soil crust recovery timelines require peer-reviewed citations with specific author, journal, year and geography. See source policy note on BSC recovery literature. No figure in this draft should be treated as verified until citation review is complete.
Corrections
· Editorial review — change-control phase
Article excerpt revised in draft. Removed: specific individual-plant age claim (73 years old) presented as a first-person fact about a named fictional character; specific growth measurement (less than an inch last year) presented as a personal observation; specific soil crust figure (200 years) presented as a first-person fact. Replaced with qualified general statements consistent with published research ranges, with explicit acknowledgment that specific figures require citation review before publication. The editorial argument — that project monitoring timelines are mismatched with ecological recovery timelines — is preserved. Human review required before publication.
Character profiles
Beavertail — Character Profile
Prototype — not approved for publication
Ecological relationships, drought tolerance, growth rates, soil-crust recovery timelines and pollinator claims require reviewed, cited sources. Specific figures vary by site conditions, disturbance type and recovery measure.
Coast — Character Profile
Prototype — not approved for publication
Species identification, ecological relationships, habitat patch thresholds, fire ecology and restoration outcomes require reviewed, cited sources. Opuntia littoralis identification and relationships can be site-specific.
Redspine — Character Profile
Prototype — not approved for publication
Growth rates, longevity estimates, soil-crust recovery ranges, transplantation success figures and ecological relationships require reviewed, cited sources. Growth and longevity vary significantly by site, climate and disturbance type.
Correction register
No corrections have been logged to published content. Draft corrections made during the change-control phase are recorded in the article entries above.
CACactus is an editorial prototype. All content is pending human editorial review and has not been approved for publication. Source citations will be added as ecological review is completed. This page is updated when corrections are made.