CRCritically Endangered

Gastrodia arunachalensis

Declining

Overview

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

Gastrodia arunachalensis faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to deforestation and agricultural expansion in its limited range within Arunachal Pradesh, India. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local disturbances, while its mycoheterotrophic lifestyle creates additional vulnerability through dependence on specific fungal partners that may themselves be threatened by environmental changes.
Threat summary

Habitat

This mycoheterotrophic orchid inhabits the understory of subtropical and temperate forests in Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India, where it depends entirely on fungal partners for nutrition. The species requires specific forest floor conditions with rich organic matter and stable moisture levels typical of undisturbed forest ecosystems.

Forest· majorForest - Subtropical/tropical moist lowland· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recoveryLegislation

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Gastrodia arunachalensis classified as Critically Endangered?

Gastrodia arunachalensis 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. Gastrodia arunachalensis faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to deforestation and agricultural expansion in its limited range within Arunachal Pradesh, India. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to local disturbances, while its mycoheterotrophic lifestyle creates additional vulnerability through dependence on specific fungal partners that may themselves be threatened by environmental changes.

Where does Gastrodia arunachalensis live?

Gastrodia arunachalensis occurs in India. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.

What are the main threats to Gastrodia arunachalensis?

The main threats to Gastrodia arunachalensis are 2.1, 5.3, ai-1, and ai-2. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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