Syagrus macrocarpa
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Syagrus macrocarpa faces severe pressure from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching across the Brazilian Cerrado, where its native palm groves are being converted to pastureland and soybean cultivation. Urban development and infrastructure projects have fragmented remaining populations, while the species' slow growth rate and limited seed dispersal make natural recovery extremely difficult. Fire regimes altered by human activity further threaten juvenile palms, which lack the fire resistance of mature specimens.
Habitat
This endemic Brazilian palm occurs in gallery forests and cerrado woodland savannas of the central Brazilian plateau, particularly in Goiás and Minas Gerais states. It typically grows in well-drained soils along seasonal watercourses and forest edges within the Cerrado biome.