Calliandra decrescens
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Calliandra decrescens faces significant pressure from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching throughout its limited range in the Brazilian Cerrado. Habitat fragmentation has isolated remaining populations, reducing genetic diversity and limiting natural regeneration. Urban development and infrastructure projects continue to encroach on the species' remaining strongholds, while altered fire regimes disrupt the natural savanna dynamics this leguminous shrub depends upon.
Habitat
This endemic Brazilian shrub inhabits the Cerrado savanna ecosystem, particularly favoring well-drained soils in open woodland areas and grassland margins. It thrives in the fire-adapted landscapes characteristic of the Cerrado, where periodic burning maintains the open canopy structure essential for its growth.