Prickly Shield Fern
CR

Prickly Shield Fern

Polystichum braunii

UnknownLCEULCEU

Photo: Photo: Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Prickly Shield Fern faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to logging and forest fragmentation in its specialized montane forest environments. Climate change poses additional risks by altering the cool, moist conditions this species requires, while its limited dispersal ability and specific habitat requirements make populations particularly vulnerable to local extinctions.

Threat summary

Habitat

Cool, moist montane and boreal forests, typically growing on rocky slopes, forest floors, and shaded ravines in coniferous and mixed deciduous-coniferous woodlands. The species requires consistently humid microclimates and is often found near streams or in areas with reliable moisture retention.

Other threatened species in Dryopteridaceae

Elaphoglossum muscosumCR

Elaphoglossum muscosum

Unknown
CR

Ctenitis velata

Unknown
CR

Elaphoglossum decursivum

Unknown
CR

Polystichum glandulosum

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Prickly Shield Fern classified as Critically Endangered?
Prickly Shield Fern is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Prickly Shield Fern faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to logging and forest fragmentation in its specialized montane forest environments. Climate change poses additional risks by altering the cool, moist conditions this species requires, while its limited dispersal ability and specific habitat requirements make populations particularly vulnerable to local extinctions.
Where does Prickly Shield Fern live?
Prickly Shield Fern occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Prickly Shield Fern?
The main threats to Prickly Shield Fern are ai-1, ai-2, ai-3, and ai-4. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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