VU

Zebrawood

Microberlinia brazzavillensis

Unknown

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Microberlinia brazzavillensis faces severe pressure from commercial logging operations targeting its valuable timber, which is highly prized for construction and furniture making. Agricultural expansion and slash-and-burn farming practices are fragmenting its remaining forest habitat across Central Africa. The species' slow growth rate and limited regeneration capacity make it particularly vulnerable to overexploitation, with mature trees being selectively harvested faster than populations can naturally recover.

Threat summary

Habitat

This tree species inhabits dense tropical rainforests of Central Africa, particularly in Cameroon and the Republic of the Congo. It typically grows in primary forest ecosystems with high canopy cover and rich, well-drained soils.

Forest· majorMarine coastal/supratidal· major

Other threatened species in FABACEAE

VU

Lonchocarpus crassispermus

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CR

Machaerium orthocarpum

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Senna saeri

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Senna viciifolia

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Threatened in Cameroon

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Justicia orbicularis

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Brachystephanus kupeensisCR

Brachystephanus kupeensis

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Whitfieldia preussii

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EN

Justicia leucoxiphus

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Zebrawood classified as Vulnerable?
Zebrawood is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. Microberlinia brazzavillensis faces severe pressure from commercial logging operations targeting its valuable timber, which is highly prized for construction and furniture making. Agricultural expansion and slash-and-burn farming practices are fragmenting its remaining forest habitat across Central Africa. The species' slow growth rate and limited regeneration capacity make it particularly vulnerable to overexploitation, with mature trees being selectively harvested faster than populations can naturally recover.
Where does Zebrawood live?
Zebrawood occurs in Cameroon, and Gabon. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Zebrawood?
The main threats to Zebrawood are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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