Santa Catalina Mountain-mahogany
CR

Santa Catalina Mountain-mahogany

Cercocarpus traskiae

Declining

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

Cercocarpus traskiae, known by the common names Santa Catalina Island mountain-mahogany and Catalina mahogany, is a rare species of plant in the rose family.

Cercocarpus traskiae faces severe threats from its extremely restricted range on Santa Catalina Island, where the entire population is confined to just a few square kilometers. Introduced herbivores, particularly feral goats and pigs, have severely degraded the native chaparral habitat through overgrazing and trampling. Fire suppression has altered natural fire cycles, leading to increased competition from invasive plant species that outcompete this slow-growing shrub for resources and space.

Threat summary

Habitat

Cercocarpus traskiae inhabits dry chaparral and coastal sage scrub communities on steep canyon slopes and ridges of Santa Catalina Island. This endemic shrub grows in rocky, well-drained soils at elevations between 400-1,500 feet, often in association with other native island chaparral species.

Marine coastal/supratidal· majorShrubland· major

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in ROSACEAE

EN

Bristol Whitebeam

Sorbus bristoliensis

Increasing
EN

Arran Whitebeam

Sorbus arranensis

Declining
EN

Prunus detrita

Declining
VU

Sorbus degenii

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Santa Catalina Mountain-mahogany classified as Critically Endangered?
Santa Catalina Mountain-mahogany 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. Cercocarpus traskiae faces severe threats from its extremely restricted range on Santa Catalina Island, where the entire population is confined to just a few square kilometers. Introduced herbivores, particularly feral goats and pigs, have severely degraded the native chaparral habitat through overgrazing and trampling. Fire suppression has altered natural fire cycles, leading to increased competition from invasive plant species that outcompete this slow-growing shrub for resources and space.
Where does Santa Catalina Mountain-mahogany live?
Santa Catalina Mountain-mahogany 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 Santa Catalina Mountain-mahogany?
The main threats to Santa Catalina Mountain-mahogany are 7.1, 8.1, 8.3, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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