Wercklea intermedia
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Wercklea intermedia faces significant pressure from agricultural expansion and cattle ranching activities that fragment and destroy its montane forest habitat. Deforestation for coffee plantations and pastureland has reduced the species' already limited range in Costa Rica's mountainous regions. Climate change poses an additional threat as rising temperatures may force this cloud forest specialist to higher elevations where suitable habitat becomes increasingly scarce.
Habitat
Wercklea intermedia inhabits montane cloud forests and wet premontane forests at elevations between 1,200-2,000 meters in Costa Rica's mountainous regions. The species requires the high humidity and consistent moisture provided by cloud forest ecosystems, typically growing in understory conditions with filtered sunlight.
