Nepenthes Mikei - Ecology

Ecology

Nepenthes mikei is endemic to the Indonesian island of Sumatra, where it has been recorded from only two mountains: Mount Pangulubao in North Sumatra and Mount Bandahara in Aceh. Its altitudinal distribution extends from 1100 to 2800 m above sea level.

The typical habitat of this species is summit scrub vegetation as well as lower and upper montane mossy forest. It always grows terrestrially, often in open sites such as ridge tops and cliff sides, where it is exposed to direct sunlight. The species is rare in blangs, where the lack of surrounding vegetation means the stems scramble along the ground. Nepenthes mikei may be difficult to find on Mount Pangulubao, where it is sympatric with N. gymnamphora (N. xiphioides), N. ovata, and N. spectabilis. On Mount Bandahara, where it is common above 2400 m, it grows alongside N. diatas. Natural hybrids with all of these species have been recorded. At another location, which is undisclosed for conservation purposes, N. mikei grows alongside N. flava.

The conservation status of N. mikei is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, based on an assessment carried out in 2000. This agrees with an informal assessment made by Charles Clarke in 2001, who also classified the species as Vulnerable based on the IUCN criteria. However, Clarke noted that since substantial populations of N. mikei lie within protected areas, they "are unlikely to become threatened in the foreseeable future". Taking this into account, he suggested a revised assessment of Conservation Dependent. The species is threatened by habitat loss and disturbance, as well as over-collection by plant collectors.