With an extensive geographical range, big-leaf mahogany can be found throughout much of southern Mexico, Central America and into South America (with southern limits in Brazil and Bolivia). Found within wet and dry tropical forests, it grows in a variety of soil types.
Since the 1500s, mahogany has been a prized timber product -- a building block for high-quality furniture and musical instruments -- valued for its deep reddish color, durability and beauty. Unfortunately, the removal of this great tree often leads to erosion and soil degradation -- damaging nearby river systems and, in turn, impacting other plant and animal habitats. Another major threat: overharvesting. Because mahogany commands such high prices, foresters have begun to construct roads into dense, otherwise impassable, rainforest to gain access to the trees. Once roads are in place, the trees are in danger of continued illegal logging within these often unmanaged reserves. When a mahogany tree has been removed, it’s difficult for the species to grow in the same location -- largely the result of insufficient light, a condition necessary for regeneration.
