Palicourea heilbornii
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Palicourea heilbornii faces severe pressure from ongoing deforestation and agricultural expansion throughout its limited range in the Colombian Andes. The species' restriction to specific elevational zones makes it particularly vulnerable to habitat fragmentation, as remaining forest patches become increasingly isolated. Mining activities and infrastructure development further threaten the integrity of its montane forest habitat, while climate change may force populations to shift to higher elevations where suitable habitat becomes increasingly scarce.
Habitat
This endemic Colombian species inhabits montane cloud forests and humid premontane forests at elevations between 1,200 and 2,400 meters in the Cordillera Oriental. It typically occurs in well-preserved forest understory with dense canopy cover and high humidity levels characteristic of Andean cloud forest ecosystems.