VU

East African Mahogany

Khaya anthotheca

Unknown

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Khaya anthotheca faces severe pressure from commercial logging operations targeting its valuable timber, which is highly prized for furniture and construction. Agricultural expansion and slash-and-burn farming practices have fragmented its forest habitat across West and Central Africa. Overexploitation for medicinal bark harvesting has further reduced population numbers, while climate change threatens to alter the rainfall patterns essential for this moisture-dependent species.

Threat summary

Habitat

Khaya anthotheca inhabits moist tropical forests and woodland savannas across West and Central Africa, typically growing in areas with high annual rainfall between 1,200-2,000mm. The species thrives in well-drained soils of river valleys and forest margins, often forming part of the upper canopy in primary and secondary forest ecosystems.

Forest· major

Other threatened species in MELIACEAE

EN

Astrotrichilia elliotii

Declining
VU

Trichilia hispida

Unknown
VU

Sapele

Entandrophragma cylindricum

Unknown
VU

Chisocheton perakensis

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is East African Mahogany classified as Vulnerable?
East African Mahogany is classified as Vulnerable because the population is declining and the species faces a high risk of extinction in the medium-term future if current pressures continue. Khaya anthotheca faces severe pressure from commercial logging operations targeting its valuable timber, which is highly prized for furniture and construction. Agricultural expansion and slash-and-burn farming practices have fragmented its forest habitat across West and Central Africa. Overexploitation for medicinal bark harvesting has further reduced population numbers, while climate change threatens to alter the rainfall patterns essential for this moisture-dependent species.
Where does East African Mahogany live?
East African Mahogany occurs in across multiple regions. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to East African Mahogany?
The main threats to East African Mahogany 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.

Get weekly conservation intelligence

One short digest a week of the most striking species and country data we ship, plus breaking conservation news paired with our database where it matters.

Free, no spam. One-click unsubscribe in every email.