
Preserving
orchids in nature and in cultivation was the
theme of the 16th World Orchid Conference
By Ned
Nash
Reprinted from the August
1999 issue of Orchids -- The magazine of the
American Orchid Society.
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Theming a World Orchid
Conference on a topic as controversial and
mystifying as conservation is a daring, almost
unheard-of move. Yet this is just what the
organizers of the 16th World Orchid Conference
vowed to do more than six years ago when they
first began their planning for the conference
held in Vancouver, British Columbia, April 23
through May 2. The result was that the public
responded favorably and there were enough
qualified speakers. The speakers program was the
high point of the conference, with a wealth of
information for novice and experienced orchidists
alike. Indeed, many attendees were seen rushing
back and forth between the two lecture rooms to
take advantage of the staggered schedule and hear
as many of the presentations as they possibly
could. Conservation, horticulture, breeding,
science, art and more were all well represented
in the talks. For those who could not get enough
information just attending the many fine
lectures, there was one of the most fully packed
Poster Sessions ever seen, with participation in
a special conservation section being especially
noteworthy.
The opening day of the
conference, and the first day of lectures, was
themed "A Day of Conservation and
Understanding." This Plenary session was
opened by greetings from Vancouvers Mayor
Lee, a stirring welcome from the president of the
World Orchid Conference Trust and former AOS
president, Pete Furniss, and thanks to the
Program Committee from Conference Chairman, Wally
Thomas, PhD. Thomas noted that while the greatest
threat to biodiversity in general was staggering
population growth, it was imperative that the
advances in science being made every day be made
available to everyone in an understandable way.
This, then, was to be the main thrust of the
conservation-oriented lectures, most of which
would be given on this opening day. Furniss
proved to be an ideal moderator for the opening
session, with his well-known combination of
knowledge and understanding coupled with an
infectious sense of humor.
There could be no better
lead-off speaker in a conference dedicated to
conservation that Phillip Cribb, PhD. Conceded to
be one of the most knowledgeable orchidists of
our generation, widely traveled, extensively
published, chairman of the World Conservation
Union (IUCN) Orchid Specialist Group and an
engaging, eloquent speaker, Cribb is one of
todays foremost spokesmen for orchid
conservation. His presentation, entitled
"Orchids at the Millennium, Diversity and
Status," began with an overview of orchids
that covered three important questions: Why are
orchids so diverse? Why are they threatened? What
can we do?
Psychilis kraenzlinii,
which is widespread in moist habitats of Puerto
Rico, generally occurs in small populations,
often in unprotected areas. One by one, these
populations are threatened by urban development,
limestone mining and collection activity. |
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Contrary to what many may
think, the orchid family is a fairly old - 125 or
more million years - yet rapidly evolving group.
As Cribb pointed out, "Variation is the meat
of evolution." Orchids have evolved to take
advantage of marginal, often disturbed habitats,
where harsh conditions favor the evolutionarily
adaptive. In other words, orchids are in many
cases colonizing plants. Cribb also notes that
there are few documented extinctions known in
orchids, as well as between 200 and 500 newly
described orchids each year. Sounds like a
successful group of plants, doesnt it?
Well, it is, but with people ravaging habitat at
an ever-increasing rate, and horticulturally
desirable species being collected with little
regard to consequences, orchids can also be seen
as the pandas of the plant world. And it is in
this role that orchids may ultimately prove to
have the greatest value - as a flagship of
conservation. In the same way people relate more
easily to the cute and cuddly animals of a given
locale than they might to the slimy or scaly,
plants of great beauty and charisma can be used
to focus attention on habitat that holds more
than just the beautiful.
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This
specimen, possibly a geographic variant or a
hybrid of Psychilis kraenzlinii, is currently
being studied. Populations of this form are
limited, but occur in a small protected
biological reserve. |
Another of the opening
days premier conservation-related speakers
was James Ackerman, PhD, of the University of
Puerto Rico. Ackermans presentation,
"Plants in the Greenhouse - Species
Salvation or the Living Dead?" dealt with
the uncomfortable subject of whether we are
kidding ourselves by promoting ex situ
(out-of-habitat) conservation. One of the most
daunting issues facing conservationists is the
simple fact that all aspects of any given habitat
- pollinators, all of the aspects of pollinator
habitat, mycorhizal fungi, among others - must be
preserved, or what you have in essence is a
museum full of living fossils. Ackermans
assertion is that most attempts at ex situ
conservation amount to just this. Unless specific
measures are taken from the outset to ensure that
the ultimate reintroduction of the particular
species into its native habitat is the goal, we
end up with just some pretty plants.
Ackerman stressed the importance of a population
being "well connected" to the ecology
and that "persistence is not always
indicative of population health." In other
words, just because the plants seem to "hang
on" in no way means that the population is
healthy in the long run. That orchids often occur
in disturbed habitats makes meaningful assessment
of population health doubly difficult, as they
may undergo a periodic extinction only to show up
some time later in a similar habitat distant from
the original site. In the end, and in a realistic
sense, ex situ conservation is the least
effective method of conserving genetic diversity,
according to Ackerman. And, in the largest sense
of the conservation of complete genetic
diversity, he is certainly correct.
Dichaea
hystricina is found in wet forests of the Greater
Antilles and parts of Central and South America.
This widespread species is not always endangered,
although local populations may be threatened by
habitat destruction. Fortunately, populations in
Puerto Rico occur in protected forests. |
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My talk, "The Role of
Societies and Individuals in Conservation,"
took a slightly different tack. It is difficult
for the layman to argue with the findings of some
of the finest orchid minds of our generation.
However, it is imperative that we not feel that
all is lost. Ex situ conservation does have its
place in our avocation, and it is one of the ways
in which the everyday orchid grower can
participate in making a difference in world
conservation. Basically, if we take the best care
we can of the species we already have in
cultivation, and do a responsible job of
propagating new species, we can significantly
reduce the collecting pressure on the plants that
remain in the wild. These, and other simple
measures, are some of the ways in which societies
and their membership can help to conserve our
heritage of orchids. While many of the issues
covered in my talk are also contained in the AOS
Conservation Committees new brochure,
Conservation is Everybodys Responsibility,
wed be happy to send a transcript of the
speech to any member who desires it. (Request
your copy by telephone 561-585-8666; fax
561-585-0654; e-mail TheAOS@
compuserve.com).
The afternoon session, cochaired by the famous
Rapee Sagarik, MD, and Wendy Strahm, PhD, of the
World Conservation Union, took a closer look at
some of the issues surrounding world
conservation. The efforts of one of Canadas
orchid conservation groups, the Orchid Species
Preservation Foundation of Alberta, were outlined
by Darlene Diver. Margaret Ramsay gave a look at
the progress made at the Royal Botanical Gardens,
Kew, in the propagation of endangered orchids
from seed for reintroduction, as well as for
horticulture. Kew is one of the leaders in the
discovery of appropriate media for some of the
more recalcitrant terrestrial orchid species.
Harold Koopowitz, PhD, of the University of
California at Irvine, shared his views on
"Extinction Models," while Michael Fay,
PhD, again represented some of Kews
conservation efforts that will result in more
sound decision-making. Other
conservation-oriented lectures were salted
through the rest of the week, keeping attendees
well-satiated with thought-provoking concepts and
facts.
The memory of World Orchid Conference lectures
lingers long after those of the associated events
fades. Few remember the Grand Champion of the
Auckland World Orchid Conference. I do remember
this orchid, but I treasure the Proceedings of
that conference much more for the information
they hold. The same goes for all World Orchid
Conferences. Nowhere else do so many orchidists
gather to share so much information. If you
missed this one, get your hands on its
Proceedings.
Ned
Nash is the director of
education and conservation at the American Orchid
Society. - 6000 South Olive Avenue, West Palm
Beach, Florida 33405 (e-mail TheAOS@compuserve.
com)
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