Gasteranthus lateralis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Gasteranthus lateralis faces significant pressure from deforestation and habitat conversion throughout its limited range in the Andean cloud forests. Agricultural expansion, particularly cattle ranching and crop cultivation, continues to fragment the specialized montane forest ecosystems this epiphytic plant requires. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture regimes and temperature patterns essential for cloud forest persistence at the elevations where this species occurs.
Habitat
This epiphytic plant inhabits humid montane cloud forests of the Andes, typically growing on tree trunks and branches in the understory and mid-canopy levels. It requires the consistent moisture and stable temperatures characteristic of cloud forest ecosystems at elevations between 1,500-2,500 meters.