Citharexylum teclense
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Citharexylum teclense faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and agricultural conversion within its extremely limited range in Guatemala. The species' restriction to a single locality makes it exceptionally vulnerable to habitat destruction, with ongoing cattle ranching and subsistence farming continuing to fragment and degrade its remaining forest habitat. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns affecting the montane forest ecosystems this species depends upon.
Habitat
This endemic tree species inhabits montane cloud forests and humid subtropical forests at elevations between 1,200-1,800 meters in the Sierra de las Minas region of Guatemala. It requires well-drained soils and consistent moisture levels typical of cloud forest ecosystems, growing as part of the forest canopy in areas with high humidity and frequent fog cover.
