Polylepis pacensis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Polylepis pacensis faces severe pressure from agricultural expansion and livestock grazing in Bolivia's high-altitude regions, where farmers convert native Polylepis woodlands to cropland and pasture. Charcoal production and fuelwood collection have further fragmented the remaining forest patches, while climate change threatens to shift suitable habitat zones upward beyond the species' elevational limits.
Habitat
This endemic tree species inhabits high-altitude Polylepis woodlands in the Bolivian Andes, typically growing between 3,500-4,200 meters elevation in montane cloud forest conditions. It forms part of the distinctive Polylepis forest ecosystem that represents some of the world's highest-elevation tree communities.