CR

Centaurea leonidia

Declining

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Centaurea leonidia faces severe population decline due to intensive agricultural expansion and urban development across its limited Mediterranean range. Overgrazing by livestock has degraded the species' preferred grassland habitats, while road construction and infrastructure projects continue to fragment remaining populations. Climate change-induced drought stress further threatens this already vulnerable endemic species.

Threat summary

Habitat

Centaurea leonidia inhabits dry Mediterranean grasslands, rocky slopes, and open scrubland at elevations between 200-800 meters. The species typically grows in calcareous soils within degraded maquis vegetation and along field margins in agricultural landscapes.

Rocky areas· major

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Gynoxys neovelutina

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Centaurea leonidia classified as Critically Endangered?
Centaurea leonidia is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Centaurea leonidia faces severe population decline due to intensive agricultural expansion and urban development across its limited Mediterranean range. Overgrazing by livestock has degraded the species' preferred grassland habitats, while road construction and infrastructure projects continue to fragment remaining populations. Climate change-induced drought stress further threatens this already vulnerable endemic species.
Where does Centaurea leonidia live?
Centaurea leonidia 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 Centaurea leonidia?
The main threats to Centaurea leonidia 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.

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