Zameioscirpus atacamensis

Many parts of these high Andean deserts have remained sparsely populated and fairly intact with little anthropogenic habitat loss, in other parts of the range the past 150 years of human activities have led to pronounced desertification, disruption of habitats and changes in the biodiversity and geographic ranges of many species. Threats to plants in the region include overgrazing, road construction and increased human occupation, commercial plant collecting, and erosion. This species is found in areas of low human footprint (Sanderson et al. 2002) where threats are fairly low. The taxon is reported to cover large areas and to be dominant in wet grasslands communities. Its palatability is unknown but several plant species of the high Andean deserts have developed anti herbivore defences. The resilience of this species to anthropogenic disturbances is unknown but increasing mining activity in parts of the region, leading to the destruction of the scarce plant cover as well as contamination of some bodies of water and the soil may directly threaten the taxon.

This species appears to occur in some protected areas in parts of its range. The taxon does not benefit from legal protection in Argentina, Chile or Bolivia. The taxon has a wide range and appears to be locally common but the population should be regularly monitored. Studies should be conducted on the tolerance of the taxon to increased soil and water pollution from mining activities. It is likely to possess unique ecological characteristics (high alpine halophyte) and is therefore a potentially valuable genetic resource.