CR

Afrothismia mhoroana

Declining

Overview

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

Afrothismia mhoroana faces severe threats from deforestation and agricultural expansion in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. The species' extremely limited range makes it highly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, while its mycoheterotrophic lifestyle creates additional vulnerability through dependence on specific fungal partners that may be disrupted by forest disturbance. Climate change poses an emerging threat to the montane forest conditions this species requires.

Threat summary

Habitat

Afrothismia mhoroana is endemic to montane forests in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania, where it grows as a mycoheterotrophic herb in the forest understory. The species depends entirely on fungal partners for nutrition and is restricted to specific soil and microclimate conditions within these ancient mountain forests.

Forest· majorCaves and subterranean habitats· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in AFROTHISMIACEAE

CR

Afrothismia baerae

Unknown
CR

Afrothismia foertheriana

Unknown
CR

Afrothismia pachyantha

Declining
CR

Afrothismia korupensis

Unknown

Threatened in Tanzania

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
EN

Ipomoea zanzibarica

Unknown
EN

Pteris mkomaziensis

Unknown
EN

Meineckia stipularis

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Afrothismia mhoroana classified as Critically Endangered?
Afrothismia mhoroana 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 mhoroana faces severe threats from deforestation and agricultural expansion in the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania. The species' extremely limited range makes it highly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, while its mycoheterotrophic lifestyle creates additional vulnerability through dependence on specific fungal partners that may be disrupted by forest disturbance. Climate change poses an emerging threat to the montane forest conditions this species requires.
Where does Afrothismia mhoroana live?
Afrothismia mhoroana occurs in Tanzania. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Afrothismia mhoroana?
The main threats to Afrothismia mhoroana are 5.1, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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