Chamaedorea klotzschiana

The moist forests of Veracruz have been subject to ongoing pressure from anthropogenic activities that have led to a considerable reduction in forest area. Forest has been converted to various other land classes such as urban settlements, mixed agriculture, plantations, grazing lands and land left as fallow. In a recent study looking at the region from Xalapa south to Orizaba and Cordoba, estimates suggest as much as 107,495 ha have been deforested in the period from 1979 to 2002, equivalent to 25% loss of forest (Dalrymple 2006). Taking into account forest re-growth the figure is reduced to 22% (Dalrymple 2006). An additional threat specifically to this species is from over-collection for horticultural and florist trade. Leaf cutting and seed collections of Chamaedorea from the wild are particularly common in Mexico (Johnson 2010). Johnson (2010) notes that Chamaedorea palms are particularly susceptible to disturbance and destruction of their habitat.

Within the range of this species there are several small parks around the town of Xalapa where this palm may occur, although it is not certain to what extent these parks offer protection for this palm. The nearest national park is Parque Nacional Cofre de Perote, although no specimens of this palm are known to have been reported there. It receives no formal protection, is not listed on CITES and no ex situ collections (e.g., for seed banks) are known to have been made, although it does occur in cultivation in many places. In previous conservation assessments this species has been listed as highly endangered (Johnson 1996) and rare (Walter and Gillett 1998).