Cupressus dupreziana
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupressus_dupreziana
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Cupressus dupreziana faces severe threats from extreme habitat restriction and climate vulnerability in the central Sahara. The species is limited to fewer than 233 mature individuals across isolated mountain sites in Algeria's Tassili n'Ajjer, where prolonged drought periods and increasing aridity threaten its survival. Overgrazing by livestock and human disturbance further stress the remaining populations, while the species' extremely slow growth rate and poor regeneration capacity limit natural recovery.
Habitat
This endemic cypress occupies rocky mountain slopes and gorges in the Tassili n'Ajjer plateau of the central Sahara Desert in Algeria. It grows in extremely arid conditions at elevations between 1,000-1,800 meters, often in sheltered ravines and on north-facing slopes where moisture retention is slightly higher.
