Swietenia macrophylla

Taxonomy

Assessment Information

Geographic Range

Population

Habitat and Ecology

Threats

Conservation Actions

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Taxonomy [top]

Kingdom	Phylum	Class	Order	Family
PLANTAE	TRACHEOPHYTA	MAGNOLIOPSIDA	SAPINDALES	MELIACEAE

Scientific Name:

Swietenia macrophylla

Species Authority:

King

Common Name/s:

English	–	Big-leaf Mahogany, Bigleaf Mahogany, Big Leaf Mahogany, Brazilian Mahogany, Honduras Mahogany, Large-leaved Mahogany
French	–	Mahogani Grands Feuilles
Spanish	–	Caoba, Mara, Mogno

Assessment Information [top]

Red List Category & Criteria:	Vulnerable A1cd+2cd ver 2.3
Year Published:	1998
Annotations:	Needs updating
Assessor/s:	World Conservation Monitoring Centre
Reviewer/s:
Contributor/s:

Geographic Range [top]

Range Description:	A very large timber tree which has an extensive natural distribution.
Countries:	Native: Belize; Bolivia, Plurinational States of; Brazil (Acre, Amazonas, Goiás, Maranhão, Mato Grosso, Pará, Rondônia, Tocantins); Colombia; Costa Rica; Dominica; Ecuador; El Salvador; French Guiana; Guatemala; Guyana; Honduras; Mexico (Quintana Roo); Nicaragua; Panama; Peru; Venezuela Introduced: Saint Lucia Present - origin uncertain: Guadeloupe; Martinique; Montserrat; Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Range Map:	Click here to open the map viewer and explore range.

Population [top]

Population:	Basic inventories are lacking for most of its range. Good stands apparently still remain in parts of Brazil and Bolivia.

Population:

Basic inventories are lacking for most of its range. Good stands apparently still remain in parts of Brazil and Bolivia.

Habitat and Ecology [top]

Habitat and Ecology:	Various forest types. The ecology of northern subpopulations is relatively well understood whereas virtually nothing is known about Amazonian subpopulations.
Systems:	Terrestrial

Threats [top]

Major Threat(s):	This species is the most commercially important of the mahoganies. The level of exploitation has led to the exhaustion of supplies particularly in the northern parts of its range. Regeneration of the species is stochastic, depending in nature on large-scale disturbance. This ecological strategy makes mahogany vulnerable to logging regimes. Harvesting and processing are generally only 50 percent efficient. There is, at present, little economic incentive to manage natural stands sustainably.

Major Threat(s):

This species is the most commercially important of the mahoganies. The level of exploitation has led to the exhaustion of supplies particularly in the northern parts of its range. Regeneration of the species is stochastic, depending in nature on large-scale disturbance. This ecological strategy makes mahogany vulnerable to logging regimes. Harvesting and processing are generally only 50 percent efficient. There is, at present, little economic incentive to manage natural stands sustainably.

Conservation Actions [top]

Conservation Actions:	International trade in timber of the species is subject to the provisions of Appendix II of CITES. The Appendix II listing covers the Neotropical populations (including logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets and plywood) and entered into effect on 15 November 2003. Export quotas have been granted to certain countries.

Conservation Actions:

International trade in timber of the species is subject to the provisions of Appendix II of CITES. The Appendix II listing covers the Neotropical populations (including logs, sawn wood, veneer sheets and plywood) and entered into effect on 15 November 2003. Export quotas have been granted to certain countries.

Citation:	World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1998. Swietenia macrophylla. In: IUCN 2012. IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2012.2. <www.iucnredlist.org>. Downloaded on 20 June 2013.
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