Cloud forest sugar maple (Acer skutchii) at the Sierra de las Minas Biosphere Reserve

Acer skutchii is the most southerly distributed of the North American Sugar Maples. It is native to five localities in the cloud forests of Mexico and Guatemala. Until recently the species was assessed as Vulnerable in regional and taxonomic red lists, however recent surveys have identified that the population within Jalisco, Mexico belongs to a separate species. The population is now smaller and more disjunct than previously thought, occupying an area less than 50 km2 and separated over hundreds of kilometers. Consequently, A. skutchii has been globally assessed as Critically Endangered. An effort led by UBC Botanical Garden, at the University of British Columbia is bringing together the world’s maple experts to achieve various goals such as identifying the Acer species in most need of conservation.