Blakea pichinchensis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Blakea pichinchensis faces severe pressure from ongoing deforestation and agricultural expansion throughout its limited Andean range. The species' restriction to cloud forest ecosystems makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, as these specialized environments are increasingly converted to cattle pasture and crop cultivation. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture regimes essential for cloud forest persistence at specific elevations.
Habitat
This species is endemic to cloud forests of the Ecuadorian Andes, typically occurring at elevations between 1,800-2,400 meters. It inhabits the understory and edges of montane cloud forests where persistent moisture and fog create the humid conditions essential for its survival.