Stigmaphyllon ecudorense
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Stigmaphyllon ecudorense faces severe pressure from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching throughout its limited range in Ecuador's coastal and Andean foothills. Deforestation for banana plantations and palm oil cultivation has fragmented the remaining forest patches where this climbing vine occurs. Urban development along Ecuador's rapidly growing coastal corridor continues to eliminate suitable habitat, while climate change threatens to shift precipitation patterns critical for this moisture-dependent species.
Habitat
This endemic climbing vine inhabits humid tropical forests and forest edges in Ecuador's coastal lowlands and western Andean slopes, typically at elevations between 200-1,200 meters. It requires well-drained soils and partial canopy cover, often growing along forest margins and in secondary growth areas adjacent to primary forest.