Tillandsia aequatorialis
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Tillandsia aequatorialis faces severe pressure from habitat destruction as Ecuador's cloud forests are cleared for agriculture and urban development. The species' restricted range in the Andean foothills makes it particularly vulnerable to localized deforestation, while climate change threatens to shift the moisture-dependent cloud forest zones beyond the plant's adaptive capacity. Collection for the ornamental plant trade adds additional pressure on remaining wild populations.
Habitat
This epiphytic bromeliad inhabits the humid cloud forests of Ecuador's Andean slopes, typically growing on tree branches and trunks in the misty conditions between 1,500-2,500 meters elevation. The species depends on the consistent moisture and moderate temperatures characteristic of these montane ecosystems.
