Ilex lechleri
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Ilex lechleri faces significant pressure from deforestation and habitat conversion in the Andean cloud forests where it occurs. Agricultural expansion and cattle ranching have reduced suitable habitat, while selective logging targets mature forest areas where this holly species typically establishes. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture regimes essential for cloud forest ecosystems.
Habitat
This species inhabits Andean cloud forests and montane humid forests, typically occurring at elevations between 1,500-3,000 meters. It grows in the understory and forest edges of these moisture-rich ecosystems, often associated with epiphyte-laden canopies characteristic of neotropical montane forests.