Ilex sipapoana
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Ilex sipapoana faces severe pressure from deforestation and habitat conversion in the Venezuelan Guiana Shield region. Mining activities and agricultural expansion have fragmented its montane forest habitat, while climate change threatens the specialized high-elevation ecosystems where this holly species occurs. The species' restricted range on tepuis makes it particularly vulnerable to localized disturbances.
Habitat
This endemic holly species inhabits montane forests and cloud forests on the tepuis (table mountains) of the Venezuelan Guiana Shield. It occurs at elevations between 1,200-2,000 meters in humid, moss-rich forest environments with persistent cloud cover.