Macrocarpaea harlingii
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Macrocarpaea harlingii faces primary threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and cattle ranching in Ecuador's montane cloud forests. The species' restricted range in the Andes makes it particularly vulnerable to localized deforestation and forest fragmentation. Climate change poses an additional threat by altering the moisture regimes essential for cloud forest ecosystems where this endemic gentian occurs.
Habitat
Macrocarpaea harlingii is endemic to montane cloud forests of the Ecuadorian Andes, typically occurring at elevations between 2,000-3,000 meters. The species inhabits humid, moss-rich forest understories where persistent cloud cover maintains the high moisture levels essential for its survival.
