Miconia pailasana
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Miconia pailasana faces severe pressure from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching activities that fragment and destroy its native cloud forest habitat. The species' restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable to localized habitat conversion, while climate change threatens to shift the altitudinal zones where this montane endemic can survive. Invasive plant species further degrade remaining forest patches, competing with native vegetation and altering ecosystem dynamics.
Habitat
This endemic shrub inhabits cloud forests and montane humid forests at elevations between 1,200-2,000 meters in the Cordillera de la Costa of Venezuela. It requires the specific microclimate conditions of these mist-shrouded forests, including high humidity, consistent moisture, and the unique plant communities adapted to frequent cloud immersion.