Nepenthes Talangensis - Ecology

Ecology

Nepenthes talangensis is thought to be endemic to the area around Mount Talang in the Indonesian province of West Sumatra; it has been recorded from Mount Talang itself and from nearby Bukit Gombak. A population of apparently tetraploid plants is known. Although Nerz and Wistuba wrote in their formal description that N. talangensis is restricted to elevations above 2200 m, the species is now known to have a wider altitudinal distribution of 1800–2500 m.

The typical habitat of N. talangensis is mossy upper montane forest, where it is almost exclusively terrestrial, but rarely may also be found as an epiphyte. It may grow in shady conditions under dense tree cover or among open, stunted shrubs where it is exposed to strong or even direct sunlight. At lower elevations of as little as 1800 m, N. talangensis is found in dense mossy forest, where it is sympatric with N. gymnamphora and N. inermis. Nepenthes talangensis is seldom sympatric with N. bongso, despite the latter being common on Mount Talang. This is because the two species occupy distinct ecological niches; N. bongso is typically an epiphyte in lower montane forest, whereas N. talangensis usually grows terrestrially in upper montane forest. Natural hybrids with all three sympatric Nepenthes species have been recorded.

The conservation status of N. talangensis is listed as Endangered 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 Endangered based on the IUCN criteria. Since the species appears to be restricted to a single mountain, it would normally fall under the category of Critically Endangered.

Stewart McPherson considered the species "not seriously threatened" in his 2009 monograph, describing extant wild populations as "extensive". A substantial number of plants persist on Mount Talang despite its recent volcanic activity, which has included large eruptions. Due to its status as an active volcano, Mount Talang receives few visitors and is not a major target for development.