Polycycnis lehmannii
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Polycycnis lehmannii faces severe population decline primarily due to extensive deforestation and habitat fragmentation across its limited range in the Colombian Andes. The species' specialized epiphytic lifestyle makes it particularly vulnerable to logging operations that remove mature forest canopy trees essential for its survival. Mining activities and agricultural expansion have further reduced suitable cloud forest habitat, while climate change threatens to shift the narrow altitudinal zones where this orchid can persist.
Habitat
This epiphytic orchid inhabits humid cloud forests and montane rainforests at elevations between 1,500-2,500 meters in the Colombian Andes. It grows exclusively on the trunks and branches of mature forest trees, requiring the stable microclimatic conditions found in undisturbed primary forest canopy.
Other threatened species in ORCHIDACEAE
Threatened in Colombia
Frequently asked questions
Why is Polycycnis lehmannii classified as Critically Endangered?
Where does Polycycnis lehmannii live?
What are the main threats to Polycycnis lehmannii?
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