Polystichum uahukaense
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Polystichum uahukaense faces severe pressure from invasive plant species that outcompete native vegetation in its limited montane forest habitat. Habitat degradation from feral ungulates, particularly pigs and goats, damages the forest understory where this fern establishes. Climate change poses an additional threat as warming temperatures may force this cool-adapted species to retreat to increasingly restricted high-elevation refugia.
Habitat
This endemic fern inhabits montane wet forests and cloud forests on the island of Nuku Hiva in the Marquesas Islands, typically growing in shaded understory conditions at elevations between 800-1,200 meters. It establishes in rocky crevices and on moss-covered surfaces within these cool, humid forest environments.