Plutarchia ecuadorensis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Plutarchia ecuadorensis faces severe pressure from ongoing deforestation and agricultural expansion throughout its limited Ecuadorian range. Mining activities and infrastructure development further fragment its cloud forest habitat, while climate change threatens to shift suitable elevation zones beyond the species' adaptive capacity. The combination of habitat destruction and the species' restricted geographic distribution makes population recovery extremely challenging.
Habitat
This species inhabits montane cloud forests and humid subtropical forests on the western slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes, typically occurring at elevations between 1,200-2,400 meters. It requires dense forest canopy with high humidity levels and abundant epiphytic vegetation characteristic of these specialized Andean ecosystems.
