Meriania calyptrata
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Meriania calyptrata faces severe pressure from ongoing deforestation and agricultural expansion throughout its limited Andean range. The species' restriction to specific elevational zones makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, as remaining forest patches become increasingly isolated. Climate change poses an additional threat by potentially shifting suitable habitat zones upslope, reducing available area for this already range-restricted endemic.
Habitat
This endemic shrub inhabits montane cloud forests and humid upper montane forests in the northern Andes, typically occurring at elevations between 2,000-3,200 meters. It requires the consistently moist conditions and specialized microclimate found in these high-altitude forest ecosystems.