Oxanthera brevipes
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Oxanthera brevipes faces significant pressure from habitat degradation in New Caledonia's unique ultramafic ecosystems. Mining activities for nickel extraction pose the most severe threat to this endemic shrub, as they directly destroy the specialized serpentine soils and maquis vegetation communities where the species occurs. Fire regimes and invasive plant species further compromise the integrity of its restricted habitat range.
Habitat
This endemic New Caledonian shrub inhabits ultramafic maquis vegetation on serpentine soils, typically found in open shrublands and forest margins at low to moderate elevations. The species is adapted to the unique mineral-rich, nutrient-poor conditions characteristic of New Caledonia's ultramafic substrates.