Astelia tovii
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Astelia tovii faces significant pressure from habitat degradation in its restricted montane forest range. The species is particularly vulnerable to invasive plant species that alter the understory composition of its cloud forest habitat. Climate change poses an additional threat by shifting the altitudinal zones where suitable moisture and temperature conditions exist for this moisture-dependent epiphyte.
Habitat
Astelia tovii is endemic to montane cloud forests, typically growing as an epiphyte on tree trunks and branches in the misty, high-altitude environments of tropical mountains. The species requires the consistently high humidity and filtered light conditions characteristic of these specialized forest ecosystems.
