Heliconia obscura
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Heliconia obscura faces mounting pressure from agricultural expansion and urban development throughout its limited range in Central America's lowland forests. Deforestation for cattle ranching and palm oil plantations has fragmented its habitat, while climate change threatens to alter the specific moisture and temperature conditions this understory species requires. The conversion of primary forest to secondary growth reduces the dense canopy cover essential for its survival.
Habitat
Heliconia obscura inhabits the understory of lowland tropical rainforests, typically found in areas with dense canopy cover and high humidity levels between 200-800 meters elevation. This species thrives in the filtered light conditions of primary and mature secondary forests, often growing along forest edges and in small clearings where it can access sufficient moisture.
