Abstract

The effect of the introduction of non-native fauna has been scarcely evaluated on endemic flora of northern Chile. By way of consensus, the damages that are caused to the flora by this effect are greater than the benefits. Our objective was to evaluate the damage caused by feral dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) in a community of cacti in conservation category inhabiting the Atacama Region. The species that presented the greatest damage was Copiapoa coquimbana, which presented significant differences in the scale of damage at the seasonal level compared to Eriosyce napina and Eriosyce subgibbosa. It is concluded that there would be a new, undescribed threat to these species, which should be quantified in future evaluations of the conservation status of chilean cacti.