Astrocaryum minus
Photo: (c) Sébastien SANT, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Sébastien SANT
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Astrocaryum minus faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and agricultural conversion of its native Atlantic Forest habitat in Brazil. The species is particularly vulnerable to palm heart harvesting, where entire trees are cut down to extract the edible terminal bud, preventing regeneration. Urban expansion and cattle ranching have fragmented remaining populations into isolated patches, reducing genetic diversity and limiting natural recruitment.
Habitat
This palm species is endemic to the Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) of southeastern Brazil, typically growing in humid lowland and montane forests. It prefers well-drained soils in primary forest understory and forest edges, occurring at elevations up to 800 meters.
