Melicope nukuhivensis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Melicope nukuhivensis faces severe threats from invasive plant species that outcompete native vegetation and alter forest composition on Nuku Hiva. Habitat degradation from introduced ungulates, particularly feral pigs and goats, damages the understory and prevents natural regeneration. The species' extremely limited range makes it vulnerable to stochastic events, while ongoing climate change threatens to shift suitable habitat zones beyond the species' adaptive capacity.
Habitat
This endemic tree species inhabits montane rainforests and cloud forests on the volcanic slopes of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands. It occurs in humid, high-elevation forests typically between 800-1,200 meters elevation where persistent cloud cover maintains moisture levels.