almendro
VU

almendro

Dipteryx oleifera

Unknown

Photo: iNaturalist: (c) Ennio Arcia, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Ennio Arcia

Overview

Dipteryx oleifera, the tonka bean, eboe, choibá, or almendro tree, is a species of emergent rainforest tree up to 55 m (180 ft) tall in the family Fabaceae, native to Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador.

Almendro faces significant pressure from widespread deforestation and habitat fragmentation across its Central American range, driven by agricultural expansion, cattle ranching, and logging operations. The species' slow growth rate and specific habitat requirements make it particularly vulnerable to these ongoing threats, while its valuable timber and seeds create additional harvesting pressure.

Threat summary

Habitat

Almendro occurs in tropical moist lowland forests and premontane forests from sea level to approximately 1,000 meters elevation. The species typically grows in primary and mature secondary forests with well-drained soils, often found along rivers and in areas with high rainfall throughout Central America from Nicaragua to Colombia.

Other threatened species in Fabaceae

CR

Albizia buntingii

Unknown
CR

Galactia rotundata

Unknown
CR

Poitea immarginata

Unknown
CR

Galactia isopoda

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is almendro classified as Vulnerable?
almendro is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. Almendro faces significant pressure from widespread deforestation and habitat fragmentation across its Central American range, driven by agricultural expansion, cattle ranching, and logging operations. The species' slow growth rate and specific habitat requirements make it particularly vulnerable to these ongoing threats, while its valuable timber and seeds create additional harvesting pressure.
Where does almendro live?
almendro occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to almendro?
The main threats to almendro are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.