EN

Cinchona rugosa

Unknown

Overview

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

Cinchona rugosa faces severe pressure from overharvesting for its medicinal bark, which contains valuable quinine compounds used in traditional medicine and pharmaceutical applications. Habitat destruction through agricultural expansion and logging in its montane forest range has fragmented remaining populations. Climate change poses an additional threat as warming temperatures force this cool-climate species to retreat to higher elevations with increasingly limited suitable habitat.

Threat summary

Habitat

Cinchona rugosa inhabits cloud forests and montane rainforests at elevations between 1,500-3,000 meters in the Andes. It thrives in cool, humid conditions with consistent moisture from fog and rainfall, typically growing on steep slopes with well-drained soils.

Other threatened species in RUBIACEAE

EN

Arachnothryx tacanensis

Declining
CR

Arachnothryx tenorioi

Unknown
VU

Aidia abeidii

Unknown
EN

Arachnothryx tuxtlensis

Declining

Threatened in Ecuador

EN

Puya fastuosa

Unknown
VU

Diospyros esmereg

Declining
VU

Copper Shark

Carcharhinus brachyurus

Declining
EN

Baird's Tapir

Tapirus bairdii

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Cinchona rugosa classified as Endangered?
Cinchona rugosa is classified as Endangered — facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild — because population numbers are declining steeply and key habitats are under sustained pressure. Cinchona rugosa faces severe pressure from overharvesting for its medicinal bark, which contains valuable quinine compounds used in traditional medicine and pharmaceutical applications. Habitat destruction through agricultural expansion and logging in its montane forest range has fragmented remaining populations. Climate change poses an additional threat as warming temperatures force this cool-climate species to retreat to higher elevations with increasingly limited suitable habitat.
Where does Cinchona rugosa live?
Cinchona rugosa occurs in Ecuador, and Peru. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Cinchona rugosa?
The main threats to Cinchona rugosa 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.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.