Nasa aequatoriana
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Nasa aequatoriana faces severe pressure from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching in Ecuador's Andean cloud forests. The species' extremely limited range makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, while climate change threatens to shift the narrow altitudinal zones where this endemic plant can survive. Mining activities and road construction in the region further compound habitat loss pressures.
Habitat
This endemic species inhabits the cloud forests of Ecuador's Andes, typically found at elevations between 2,000-3,500 meters. It grows in the humid, mist-shrouded environments characteristic of montane cloud forest ecosystems, often on steep slopes with rich, well-drained soils.