Meriania maguirei
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Meriania maguirei faces severe pressure from ongoing deforestation and habitat fragmentation within its restricted range in the Colombian Andes. Agricultural expansion and cattle ranching continue to encroach upon the cloud forest ecosystems where this endemic shrub survives. The species' extremely limited distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized habitat destruction, with small population fragments increasingly isolated from one another.
Habitat
This endemic Colombian shrub inhabits cloud forests and montane humid forests in the Cordillera Oriental of the Andes. It occurs at elevations between 2,000-3,000 meters where persistent cloud cover and high humidity create the specialized conditions required for its survival.