Maschalostachys mellosilvae
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Maschalostachys mellosilvae faces severe pressure from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching activities that fragment and destroy its specialized habitat requirements. Urban development and infrastructure projects further reduce available habitat patches, while the species' limited dispersal ability prevents recolonization of degraded areas. Climate change compounds these pressures by altering precipitation patterns critical for this plant's reproductive cycles.
Habitat
This endemic Brazilian plant species inhabits specialized cerrado and campo rupestre ecosystems, typically growing on rocky outcrops and sandy soils in elevated areas. It requires specific soil chemistry and drainage conditions found in these threatened savanna-like environments of central Brazil.