Editing Eastern Prickly Pear (section)

== Conservation Status ==

According to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, ''Opuntia humifusa'' is listed as a species of "Special Concern" in Connecticut. <ref name="ct-special-concern">"Endangered, Threatened & Special Concern Plants." ''Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection''. Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, 1 Jul 2010. Web. 30 Apr 2012. <http://www.ct.gov/dep/cwp/view.asp?a=2702&q=323482>.</ref>  This status is most likely due to the fact that ''O. humifusa'' has a naturally restricted range within the state.  However, at least one study of ''O. humifusa'' has determined that natural succession, whereby previously open swaths of land are colonized by shrubs and shade trees, can result in a corresponding decline in population.<ref name="ohio-study"></ref>  I have observed this phenomenon first-hand in Old Saybrook, where the [[#Ingham Hill Colony (Old Saybrook)|Ingham Hill Colony]] is in danger of being shaded out as the surrounding deciduous forest grows older and taller.  Since very large areas of territory may possess only a handful of ''O. humifusa'' colonies, especially in the case of inland habitats, it is entirely possible for forest re-growth to cause local extinction.