Acalypha ecuadorica
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Acalypha ecuadorica faces severe threats from ongoing deforestation and agricultural expansion throughout its extremely limited range in western Ecuador. The species' restriction to lowland wet forests makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat conversion for palm oil plantations and cattle ranching. Urban development pressure from expanding coastal cities further fragments the remaining forest patches where this endemic shrub persists.
Habitat
This endemic Ecuadorian shrub inhabits lowland wet forests and forest edges in the coastal regions of western Ecuador. It typically grows in humid tropical forests at elevations below 500 meters, often in areas with high rainfall and rich, well-drained soils.