"Drought, more frequent wildfires and rising temperatures due to climate change are upsetting the delicate balance between life and death conditions for Joshua Tree National Park’s peculiar namesake plant.

Many Joshua trees in the region have not reproduced in decades. If warmer, drier conditions continue, scientific modeling suggests the symbols of California’s deserts will lose 90% of their range in the 800,000-acre park and surrounding terrain by the end of the century.

As part of an effort to reverse the trend, the conservation group WildEarth Guardians on Wednesday petitioned the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to list the species as threatened under the Endangered Species Act."

Louis Sahagun reports for the Los Angeles Times September 30, 2015. [2]