ORCHID CONSERVATION NEWS The Newsletter of the Orchid Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission Issue 3 December 2015 The Many Faces of Conservation Editorial When we digitize herbaria, bank seeds or DNA, and make orchid-related data and literature universally available through networks such as the GBIF Global Biodiversity Information Facility ( www.gbif.org) , we are making wise use of what has already been recorded, reported, studied, and preserved from the past, thus favouring future conservation initiatives. We cannot recreate the past but without knowledge of the past, and a baseline of what is presently known about species conservation status, we could be hampered when addressing future conservation issues. In this issue, we read about Global Status Assessment of 27 North American orchid taxa by a team led by Dr. Jyotsna Sharma, Texas Tech University, USA, and about some of the challenges they faced. We also learn about one of the latest reintroduction successes from Singapore where Dr. Tim Wing Yam, Singapore Botanic Gardens, beginning with a single plant of Robiquetia spathulata discovered on the island in 2006. These two projects and others recently published (see Food for Thought) demonstrate how we can move forward, learning from past experience, and sharing our collective knowledge toward more effective orchid conservation. Marilyn H. S. Light, Editor [email protected]_______ ____________ North American Orchids: An assessment of global status Jyotsna Sharma Texas Tech University <[email protected]> A team led by Dr. Jyotsna Sharma (Texas Tech University) recently completed the global status assessment of 27 additional orchid taxa native to North America based on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) assessment criteria. The recently added species include: Basiphyllaea corallicola, Calopogon multiflorus, Corallorhiza bentleyi, Eulophia ecristata, Galeandra bicarinata, Hexalectris revoluta, Hexalectris warnockii, Isotria medeoloides, Malaxis bayardii, Malaxis wendtii, Oncidium ensatum, Peristylus holochila, Platanthera chapmanii, Platanthera integrilabia, Platanthera leucophaea, Platanthera yadonii , Platanthera yosemitensis, Platanthera zothecina, Spiranthes brevilabris, Spiranthes delitescens, Spiranthes diluvialis, Spiranthes infernalis, Spiranthes parksii, Spiranthes torta, Triphora amazonica, Triphora craigheadii, Triphora yucatanensis. Members of the Orchidaceae remain some of the least represented in the IUCN Red List Database. To remedy this situation, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK, had recently taken the initiative to conduct assessments of an increasing number of orchid species. Toward this end, assessments of all Cypripedium species were completed in 2014, however, the orchids of North America remained some of the least represented overall. In our latest set of assessments, all taxa listed under the US 1
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ORCHID CONSERVATION NEWSThe Newsletter of the Orchid Specialist Group of the IUCN Species Survival Commission
Issue 3 December 2015
The Many Faces of Conservation
Editorial
When we digitize herbaria, bank seeds or DNA, andmake orchid-related data and literature universallyavailable through networks such as the GBIF GlobalBiodiversity Information Facility (www.gbif.org) , weare making wise use of what has already been recorded,reported, studied, and preserved from the past, thusfavouring future conservation initiatives. We cannotrecreate the past but without knowledge of the past, anda baseline of what is presently known about speciesconservation status, we could be hampered whenaddressing future conservation issues.
In this issue, we read about Global Status Assessmentof 27 North American orchid taxa by a team led by Dr.Jyotsna Sharma, Texas Tech University, USA, andabout some of the challenges they faced. We also learnabout one of the latest reintroduction successes fromSingapore where Dr. Tim Wing Yam, SingaporeBotanic Gardens, beginning with a single plant ofRobiquetia spathulata discovered on the island in 2006. These two projects and others recently published (seeFood for Thought) demonstrate how we can moveforward, learning from past experience, and sharing ourcollective knowledge toward more effective orchidconservation.
A team led by Dr. Jyotsna Sharma (Texas TechUniversity) recently completed the global statusassessment of 27 additional orchid taxa native to NorthAmerica based on the IUCN (International Union forConservation of Nature) assessment criteria. Therecently added species include: Basiphyllaeacorallicola, Calopogon multiflorus, Corallorhizabentleyi, Eulophia ecristata, Galeandra bicarinata,Hexalectris revoluta, Hexalectris warnockii, Isotriamedeoloides, Malaxis bayardii, Malaxis wendtii,Oncidium ensatum, Peristylus holochila, Platantherachapmanii, Platanthera integrilabia, Platantheraleucophaea, Platanthera yadonii, Platantherayosemitensis, Platanthera zothecina, Spiranthesbrevilabris, Spiranthes delitescens, Spiranthesdiluvialis, Spiranthes infernalis, Spiranthes parksii,Spiranthes torta, Triphora amazonica, Triphoracraigheadii, Triphora yucatanensis.
Members of the Orchidaceae remain some of the leastrepresented in the IUCN Red List Database. To remedythis situation, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, UK, hadrecently taken the initiative to conduct assessments of anincreasing number of orchid species. Toward this end,assessments of all Cypripedium species were completedin 2014, however, the orchids of North Americaremained some of the least represented overall. In ourlatest set of assessments, all taxa listed under the US
Endangered Species Act and all species currently rankedG1 or G2 by NatureServe were included.
Hexalectris revoluta, Brewster County, Texas
Like many other plant taxa, orchids present someunique challenges when they are evaluated against theRed List Assessment Criteria, which are quantitative innature to preclude subjectivity and bias. It was evidentthat even the rare plant species are not tracked regularlyover time, nor at each sub-population. Considering thatregularly collected data on the area occupied by thespecies and number of reproductive individuals at eachlocation are necessary to calculate percentage declineand other measures, lack of quantitative data from alarge number of sub-populations can hinder meaningfulassessment of the status of a species. Further, it is alsonecessary to document the specific threats to each sub-population. While the sub-population level data fororchid taxa are somewhat better organized in the UnitedStates, this is not the case when evaluating taxa withrange extensions into other countries.
Despite the challenges listed above, the Assessmentprocess allowed us to compile available data, clarifytaxonomic ambiguities, and to identify the gaps in data.The latter will likely fuel efforts to fill such gaps tofacilitate the assessment of the remaining taxa and toallow updates to the previously assessed species. Weencourage orchid scientists and enthusiasts to utilize andsubmit the population survey forms compiled by theirrespective state and regional agencies to populate orchidbiology databases in North America.
Platanthera yadonii, Monterey County, California
Spiranthes brevilabris, San Jacinto County, Texas
All photos by the author
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This collaborative project funded by the National Fishand Wildlife Foundation through the Native PlantConservation Initiative program included personnelfrom Texas Tech University (Jyotsna Sharma andKirsten Poff), NatureServe (Anne Frances and AmandaTreher), NOAA (Theresa Goedeke), Royal BotanicGardens, Kew (Mike Fay and Hassan Rankou), andIUCN (Catherine Sayer). We gratefully acknowledgethe support for this project from Marilyn Light (NorthAmerican Region, Orchid Specialist Group), PhilDelphey (US Fish and Wildlife Service), KathrynKennedy (Center for Plant Conservation), NativeOrchid Conference Inc., and Gary Krupnik (PlantConservation Unit, Smithsonian National Museum ofNatural History).
Link to publications (please use taxon name to accessthe respective assessment):http://www.iucnredlist.org/search
(Assessments will become publicly available on 19November 2015)
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Successful reintroduction of Robiquetiaspathulata in Singapore
Robiquetia spathulata was rediscovered in Pulau Ubinin June 2006. It was growing on a Vitex pinnata, next toa bird nest fern. The plant was propagated by theSingapore Botanic Gardens’ micropropagationlaboratory, and eventually reintroduced successfully intomany areas all over the island. From 2012 to 2015,more than 900 plants have been planted at the followinglocations: Gelang Park Connector, Pasir Ris Park, AngMo Kio Town Garden West, Pulau Ubin, Bukit TimahNature Reserve, MacRitchie Nature Reserve, BukitBatok Nature Park, Zhenghua Nature Park, FaberHeights, Fort Canning Park and Upper Peirce Reservoir.More than 90% of the reintroduced plants survived,with strong root systems and healthy leaves. We arevery happy that some of these plants have flowered in2015. The high survival rate of this species makes it asuitable choice for reintroduction into Singapore’s urbanenvironment, as it is able to withstand the extremes of
wind and sunlight in a multitude of microclimates.During the severe droughts in 2014 and 2015, weworked with Parks and Streetscape managers to ensurethat the plants were not under excessive water stress. Wewere very glad to find that most of our plants managedto get through the drought and are thriving. The specieshas very effective mechanisms to reduce water stress.These mechanisms include the extensive and healthyfleshy root system and the thick leathery leaves. Suchmechanisms enable the species to conserve water underwater stress. The recent abnormal weather conditions areraising concerns about the pace of climate change in theregion. In order to prepare for climate change, we needto look out for plants that can survive the extremeweather conditions. Robiquetia spathulata is certainlyan excellent choice.
Reintroduction in the secondary forest in Pulau Ubin
Reintroduced plant flowered at MacRitchie Nature Reserve
Photos by the author
Food for Thought
Cruz-Higareda, J. B., Luna-Rosales, B. S., & A. Barba-Alvarez (2015). A novel seed-baiting technique for theepiphytic orchid Rhynchostele cervantesii, a means to acquiremycorrhizal fungi from protocorms. Lankesteriana 15: 67–76.
Kalyan K. De & Sujit Sil (2015). Protocorm-like bodies andplant regeneration from foliar explants of Coelogyne flaccida,a horticulturally and medicinally important endangered orchidof eastern Himalaya. Lankesteriana 15: 151–158.
Lin, W., Downing, J. L., Liu, H., Ma, X.,Ying, T. Zhang, Z-B., Wang, Z. S. & Y-B. Luo. (2015). Reproductive biologyand conservation implications for the endangered orchidGeodorum eulophioides and its sympatric congeners inSouthwestern China. Lindleyana in Orchids 84 (9): 562–569.
Liu, H., Ren, H., Liu, Q.,Wen, X. Y., Maunder, M. & J. Y.Gao. (2015). Translocation of threatened plants as aconservation measure in China. Conservation Biology 29:1537–1551. doi: 10.1111/cobi.12585
Ospina-Calderón, N. H., Duque-Buitrago, C. A., Tremblay, R.L., & J. Tupac Otero (2015). Pollination ecology ofRodriguezia granadensis (Orchidaceae). Lankesteriana 15:129–139.
Pandey, M., Richards, M. & J. Sharma. (2015). Microsatellite-based genetic diversity patterns in disjunct populations of arare orchid. Genetica 143: 143:693–704.
Tìšitelová, T., Kotilínek, M., Jersáková, J., Joly, F.-X., Košnar, J., Tatarenko, I. & M.-A. Selosse (2015). Twowidespread green Neottia species (Orchidaceae) showmycorrhizal preference for Sebacinales in various habitats andontogenetic stages. Molecular Ecology 24(5) : 1122–1134. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.13088
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Meetings
Mark you Calendars!
International Orchid Conservation Congress
IOCC6 - Hong Kong
May 16-20, 2016
Four days of conference sessions in downtown HongKong, plus one day for visiting Kadoorie Farm andBotanic Garden (http://www.kfbg.org/eng/) to learnabout challenges for conservation in the region.
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Call for conservation news
Members are asked to provide news of their recentconservation activities for publication in the OSGConservation News.
Please submit material in Microsoft Word, andillustrations, if any, as separate jpeg files (notembedded), including a caption and photographic credit.
Changes to contact information?
To maintain effective communication, we need toknow of any changes in contact information. Pleaseinform the OSG Chair, Dr. Mike Fay ([email protected])
