CR

Afrothismia foertheriana

Unknown

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Afrothismia foertheriana faces severe threats from deforestation and agricultural expansion within its extremely limited range in Cameroon's montane forests. The species' mycoheterotrophic lifestyle makes it particularly vulnerable to soil disturbance and changes in forest floor conditions that affect its fungal partners. Mining activities and infrastructure development in the region pose additional pressures on the remaining forest fragments where this rare plant persists.

Threat summary

Habitat

This mycoheterotrophic plant inhabits the understory of montane rainforests in Cameroon, typically growing in deep leaf litter and humus-rich soils. It depends entirely on mycorrhizal fungi for nutrition, making it highly specialized to undisturbed forest floor ecosystems at elevations between 1,200-2,000 meters.

Forest· major

Conservation measures underway

Species management

Other threatened species in AFROTHISMIACEAE

CR

Afrothismia baerae

Unknown
CR

Afrothismia pachyantha

Declining
CR

Afrothismia korupensis

Unknown
CR

Afrothismia mhoroana

Declining

Threatened in Cameroon

Curlew SandpiperVU

Curlew Sandpiper

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
Eisentraut's ShrewVU

Eisentraut's Shrew

Crocidura eisentrauti

Stable
EN

Louisea balssi

Unknown
CR

Dichapetalum letouzeyi

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Afrothismia foertheriana classified as Critically Endangered?
Afrothismia foertheriana is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Afrothismia foertheriana faces severe threats from deforestation and agricultural expansion within its extremely limited range in Cameroon's montane forests. The species' mycoheterotrophic lifestyle makes it particularly vulnerable to soil disturbance and changes in forest floor conditions that affect its fungal partners. Mining activities and infrastructure development in the region pose additional pressures on the remaining forest fragments where this rare plant persists.
Where does Afrothismia foertheriana live?
Afrothismia foertheriana occurs in Cameroon. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Afrothismia foertheriana?
The main threats to Afrothismia foertheriana are 2.1, 5.3, ai-1, and ai-2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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