Piper skutchii
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Piper skutchii faces severe pressure from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching throughout its Central American range, with cloud forest habitats being converted at accelerating rates. Climate change poses an additional threat as rising temperatures push suitable conditions to higher elevations, fragmenting the already limited montane forest patches where this endemic piper survives.
Habitat
This species is restricted to cloud forests and humid montane forests between 1,200-2,400 meters elevation in Central America. It typically grows in the understory of these mist-shrouded forests where high humidity and consistent moisture levels are maintained year-round.