Spanish Cedar

Its wood is renowned for being durable, and virtually bug-proof—making it one of the most valuable tropical timbers out there. From furniture to fuel, medicine to invertebrate food, this tree has a resume that would put most overachievers to shame. It even has a talent for helping degraded forests bounce back, as its light-loving, fast-growing pioneer nature encourages regeneration in secondary forests.

Sadly, its talents haven’t gone unnoticed. Over the years, it’s been heavily logged, both for local use and export, leading to a sharp decline in mature trees. Habitat fragmentation and deforestation have caused its geographic range to shrink by nearly 30% over the past century.