Bouteloua bracteata

Expanding agriculture and cattle farming are the main threat to the herbaceous layers of the region (Valero et al. 2001). This grass was collected in areas of medium human footprint but satellite imagery shows intensive cultivation in some parts of the area. Collection by roadsides and secondary vegetation suggest some ability to regenerate and persist in disturbed vegetation, however, habitat loss and grazing are suspected to have some impact on the population. Dry forests once occupied 70% of the state of Michoacán but now only 10% of the remaining vegetation is considered to be undisturbed (Valero et al. 2001).

This species is not known to have been collected within any protected areas. The Balsas dry forest ecoregion is an important centre of endemism for several plant genera (Valejo et al. 2001). It does not appear to be grown ex situ and seeds should be collected for that purpose as well as for germplasm conservation. Parts of the nuclear DNA have been sequenced for phylogenetic analysis (Siqueiros 2007). Field surveys should be conducted at the three sites of collection and in potentially suitable surrounding habitats to determine the current range and population size of this species. The biology and ecology should also be investigated.