Rock Cranberry
VU

Rock Cranberry

Vaccinium vitis-idaea

Unknown

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaccinium_vitis-idaea

Overview

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

Rock Cranberry faces mounting pressure from climate change as warming temperatures shift suitable habitat ranges northward and to higher elevations, fragmenting populations across its circumpolar distribution. Increased frequency of extreme weather events, including unseasonable warm spells and altered precipitation patterns, disrupts the species' synchronized flowering and fruiting cycles. Human development and infrastructure expansion in northern regions further fragments remaining habitat patches, while changes in fire regimes alter the delicate balance of boreal and arctic ecosystems this species depends upon.

Threat summary

Habitat

Rock Cranberry inhabits acidic, nutrient-poor soils in boreal forests, arctic tundra, and alpine regions across the circumpolar north. The species thrives in open woodlands, heath communities, and rocky outcrops where it forms extensive low-growing mats beneath coniferous canopies or in exposed mountain environments.

TERRESTRIAL· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Rock Cranberry classified as Vulnerable?
Rock Cranberry is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. Rock Cranberry faces mounting pressure from climate change as warming temperatures shift suitable habitat ranges northward and to higher elevations, fragmenting populations across its circumpolar distribution. Increased frequency of extreme weather events, including unseasonable warm spells and altered precipitation patterns, disrupts the species' synchronized flowering and fruiting cycles. Human development and infrastructure expansion in northern regions further fragments remaining habitat patches, while changes in fire regimes alter the delicate balance of boreal and arctic ecosystems this species depends upon.
Where does Rock Cranberry live?
Rock Cranberry 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 Rock Cranberry?
The main threats to Rock Cranberry 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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