CRCritically Endangered

Lonchocarpus aequatorialis

Unknown

Overview

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

Lonchocarpus aequatorialis faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and agricultural conversion throughout its limited range in Ecuador's coastal and Andean foothills. The species' restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, while logging pressure for timber and land clearing for cattle ranching continue to reduce remaining forest patches. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns affecting the humid forest conditions this species requires.
Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits humid tropical forests in Ecuador's coastal regions and lower Andean slopes, typically occurring in primary and secondary forest formations at elevations between 200-1,200 meters. It requires well-drained soils and consistent moisture levels characteristic of Ecuador's wet forest ecosystems.

Other threatened species in FABACEAE

Threatened in Venezuela

Helena's Marsupial Frog

Gastrotheca helenae

Stable

Ternstroemia steyermarkii

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Lonchocarpus aequatorialis classified as Critically Endangered?

Lonchocarpus aequatorialis 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. Lonchocarpus aequatorialis faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and agricultural conversion throughout its limited range in Ecuador's coastal and Andean foothills. The species' restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, while logging pressure for timber and land clearing for cattle ranching continue to reduce remaining forest patches. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns affecting the humid forest conditions this species requires.

Where does Lonchocarpus aequatorialis live?

Lonchocarpus aequatorialis occurs in Venezuela. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.

What are the main threats to Lonchocarpus aequatorialis?

The main threats to Lonchocarpus aequatorialis are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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