Neoregelia laevis

Large parts of the original forests in the region have been altered and degraded and mostly forest fragments remain today. Only 5% of the rainforest originally covering the Atlantic coast remains representing, however, the second largest area of tropical moist forest in South America (Murray-Smith et al. 2008). Ongoing threats to plant species in the region are: illegal logging, urban expansion, forest conversion into agricultural lands and palm heart extraction. The impact of these threats on the species is currently unknown. This species is described as both terrestrial and epiphytic by Smith and Downs (1979) but as homoepiphyte by Morera et al. (2005). However large scale loss of forest habitat and logging is likely to have caused a decline in the population of the taxon. It is found in areas often very densely populated, of medium to high human footprint (Sanderson et al. 2002). Due to ornamental value the species may be threaten by collection in the wild. However, the level of harvesting is currently unknown.

The taxon does not benefit from legal protection in Brazil, however, the species is known to occur within the protected area network. Field surveys should be conducted in historical sites of collection and areas of potential occurrence to estimate the size of the population and determine the actual range of the taxon. The impacts of anthropogenic disturbances and the population dynamics should be studied. Samples of seed of the species should be collected as an ex situ conservation measure.