Stiff Quillwort
CR

Stiff Quillwort

Isoetes echinospora

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.

Stiff Quillwort faces severe threats from habitat degradation and loss of its specialized aquatic environments. The species is particularly vulnerable to water pollution, eutrophication, and changes in water chemistry that alter the pristine conditions required for its survival. Climate change and human activities continue to reduce the quality and availability of suitable oligotrophic lake habitats.

Threat summary

Habitat

Oligotrophic lakes and clear, nutrient-poor freshwater bodies with sandy or gravelly substrates, typically found in northern temperate and boreal regions. The species grows submerged in shallow to moderately deep waters where it forms distinctive rosettes on lake bottoms.

FRESHWATER· majorTERRESTRIAL· major

Other threatened species in Isoetaceae

Western QuillwortEN

Western Quillwort

Isoetes lacustris

Unknown

Threatened in Algeria

Calidris ferrugineaVU

Calidris ferruginea

Declining
CR

Sahara Killifish

Apricaphanius saourensis

Declining
Blind SnailVU

Blind Snail

Cecilioides acicula

Unknown
EN

Chafarinas' Skink

Chalcides parallelus

Declining

Frequently asked questions

Why is Stiff Quillwort classified as Critically Endangered?
Stiff Quillwort 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. Stiff Quillwort faces severe threats from habitat degradation and loss of its specialized aquatic environments. The species is particularly vulnerable to water pollution, eutrophication, and changes in water chemistry that alter the pristine conditions required for its survival. Climate change and human activities continue to reduce the quality and availability of suitable oligotrophic lake habitats.
Where does Stiff Quillwort live?
Stiff Quillwort occurs in Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Australia, Belarus, and Belgium (plus 38 other countries). Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Stiff Quillwort?
The main threats to Stiff Quillwort 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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