Orchid News
Orchids Threatened by Habitat Destruction and Illegal Trade
Experts gathering here today as part of Europe's largest orchid fair, launched an action plan to conserve the world's orchids. The plan, produced by the Orchid Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), notes that although there are around 20,000 species of orchids, most are confined to rainforests and other habitats presently being degraded. This, coupled with the fact that more than one million orchids are taken from the wild and traded, could mean that some of these beautiful and economically important flowers are facing renewed threats.
Dr. Wendy Strahm, a plant conservation expert with the Species Survival Commission of IUCN, noted "We have taken the opportunity that this fair offers to bring together the world's leading orchid specialists because we need to discuss, and more importantly, act, on what should be done to protect these wonderful plants. Although many of us admire orchids, and some of us may even grow them at home, the truth is that we know relatively little about these plants. There is a dire need to conduct further research on orchid biology and ecology, as well as educate the public about the threats they face. But most importantly, this orchid show demonstrates that there is a major industry based on the genetic diversity of wild plants, many of which are on the path to extinction in their native habitats. Apart from rare cases, the industry is not putting money back into conserving the plants in the wild. The challenge now is to determine ways in which people who love orchids, and whose business is orchids, can actually play a major role in their conservation."
Dr. Strahm noted that with the growing trade in orchids worldwide, there has been an increase in the amount of orchids taken from the wild and sold internationally. This can often pose a serious threat to certain species of orchid which exist only in isolated areas. She noted that between 1983 and 1989 the average number of orchids traded annually, according to the latest figures available, was 4,996,508. Of these, around 80% were recorded as having been propagated artificially, which means that around one million were collected from the wild. "These numbers", continued Strahm, "just reflect official trade figures produced by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and do not even begin to count the number of orchids sold inside countries which is significant. In addition, the trade in orchids has grown tremendously over the past years, and while the majority of plants are artificially propagated, there is still a large number of plants which are being collected from the wild."
Vinciane Dumont, the Deputy Chair of IUCN's Orchid Specialist Group who is helping organise the orchid exhibit in Geneva and was co-editor of the Action Plan, agrees: "One of the main reasons why we are holding this fair is to try to educate people about the need to ensure that the orchids they buy for their homes do not come from the wild. We see this as an important educational exercise. We will also stress that if people want to continue to enjoy the beauty of orchids, then they will need to protect the places where orchids live. That means protecting rainforests in the tropics which are home to most of the world's orchids."
According to the IUCN Action Plan, orchids are among the world's most diverse and widely distributed plants. They are found everywhere except the poles. "Orchids are masters of adaptability," commented David McDowell, Director General of IUCN. "You have orchids that range from the microscopic to the gigantic. Orchids that grow on trees, in the ground, on rocks, and some that are even subterranean. But now our destruction of major habitats is having an impact even on these wonderfully flexible and widespread plants. The good news is that conservation of orchid habitats is also good for the conservation of scores of other plants and animals that share that habitat. Orchids have many fans among the general public and, at IUCN, our hope is that this affection will push us to consider how best to conserve the orchid's habitats before it is too late."
The IUCN report emphasises that there are essentially two threats to orchids: habitat alteration or destruction, and the illegal extraction of wild plants for trade. These two types of threat affect different species of orchids. On the one hand, illegal collection for trade affects mostly those orchids that either produce very showy flowers or provide certain edible products (e.g. salep). "Some examples of orchids threatened by illegal trade," according to Dr. Phillip Cribb of the Royal Botanic Garden in Kew, UK, "include certain species of slipper orchids of the genus Paphiopedilum, which have long been the main targets for orchid collectors in South-East Asia. They have restricted distribution and it has been estimated that 26 of the 60 species of this orchid (over 40%) are seriously endangered in the wild."
"Unlike trade," adds Dr. Cribb, "habitat loss affects a wide range of orchids and is, without a doubt, the main threat to orchids as a whole."
According to the IUCN Action Plan, the species of orchids that are most threatened are those that are found in only one part of the world, or rely on one particular species of bird or insect for their pollination. Dr. Strahm concluded by saying, "What we have to remember about orchids is that what makes them interesting is the way they have specialized to attract the birds and insects that pollinate them. This specialization means that without the insects, the plants will not reproduce, and without the habitat, the insects don't survive. So we are not just talking about protecting one species, or even a group of species; we are talking about protecting the entire web of life on which these plants depend."
The main recommendations found in the orchid action plan of IUCN which urgently require action by governments, with the help of orchid lovers and the orchid industry, include:
The preparation of educational programmes on orchids and their role in biodiversity by orchid societies and botanical gardens for the general public;
The preparation of a global checklist of orchid species and the identification of areas of high biodiversity;
The development of legislation and funding to protect, research, and properly monitor these areas;
Ensuring the availability of propagation material of rare and new species for commercial development, preferably in those countries where the species are native, thereby reducing the demand for wild-collected plants.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more information or to arrange interviews, contact:
Ricardo Bayón,Special Assistant to the Director General,IUCN, Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland,Switzerland
Tel: (41 22) 999 0288Fax: (41 22) 999 0029E-mail: rbayon@iucnus.org
This article courtesy of http://betterbloomingorchids.com/You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
Experts gathering here today as part of Europe's largest orchid fair, launched an action plan to conserve the world's orchids. The plan, produced by the Orchid Specialist Group of the World Conservation Union (IUCN), notes that although there are around 20,000 species of orchids, most are confined to rainforests and other habitats presently being degraded. This, coupled with the fact that more than one million orchids are taken from the wild and traded, could mean that some of these beautiful and economically important flowers are facing renewed threats.
Dr. Wendy Strahm, a plant conservation expert with the Species Survival Commission of IUCN, noted "We have taken the opportunity that this fair offers to bring together the world's leading orchid specialists because we need to discuss, and more importantly, act, on what should be done to protect these wonderful plants. Although many of us admire orchids, and some of us may even grow them at home, the truth is that we know relatively little about these plants. There is a dire need to conduct further research on orchid biology and ecology, as well as educate the public about the threats they face. But most importantly, this orchid show demonstrates that there is a major industry based on the genetic diversity of wild plants, many of which are on the path to extinction in their native habitats. Apart from rare cases, the industry is not putting money back into conserving the plants in the wild. The challenge now is to determine ways in which people who love orchids, and whose business is orchids, can actually play a major role in their conservation."
Dr. Strahm noted that with the growing trade in orchids worldwide, there has been an increase in the amount of orchids taken from the wild and sold internationally. This can often pose a serious threat to certain species of orchid which exist only in isolated areas. She noted that between 1983 and 1989 the average number of orchids traded annually, according to the latest figures available, was 4,996,508. Of these, around 80% were recorded as having been propagated artificially, which means that around one million were collected from the wild. "These numbers", continued Strahm, "just reflect official trade figures produced by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), and do not even begin to count the number of orchids sold inside countries which is significant. In addition, the trade in orchids has grown tremendously over the past years, and while the majority of plants are artificially propagated, there is still a large number of plants which are being collected from the wild."
Vinciane Dumont, the Deputy Chair of IUCN's Orchid Specialist Group who is helping organise the orchid exhibit in Geneva and was co-editor of the Action Plan, agrees: "One of the main reasons why we are holding this fair is to try to educate people about the need to ensure that the orchids they buy for their homes do not come from the wild. We see this as an important educational exercise. We will also stress that if people want to continue to enjoy the beauty of orchids, then they will need to protect the places where orchids live. That means protecting rainforests in the tropics which are home to most of the world's orchids."
According to the IUCN Action Plan, orchids are among the world's most diverse and widely distributed plants. They are found everywhere except the poles. "Orchids are masters of adaptability," commented David McDowell, Director General of IUCN. "You have orchids that range from the microscopic to the gigantic. Orchids that grow on trees, in the ground, on rocks, and some that are even subterranean. But now our destruction of major habitats is having an impact even on these wonderfully flexible and widespread plants. The good news is that conservation of orchid habitats is also good for the conservation of scores of other plants and animals that share that habitat. Orchids have many fans among the general public and, at IUCN, our hope is that this affection will push us to consider how best to conserve the orchid's habitats before it is too late."
The IUCN report emphasises that there are essentially two threats to orchids: habitat alteration or destruction, and the illegal extraction of wild plants for trade. These two types of threat affect different species of orchids. On the one hand, illegal collection for trade affects mostly those orchids that either produce very showy flowers or provide certain edible products (e.g. salep). "Some examples of orchids threatened by illegal trade," according to Dr. Phillip Cribb of the Royal Botanic Garden in Kew, UK, "include certain species of slipper orchids of the genus Paphiopedilum, which have long been the main targets for orchid collectors in South-East Asia. They have restricted distribution and it has been estimated that 26 of the 60 species of this orchid (over 40%) are seriously endangered in the wild."
"Unlike trade," adds Dr. Cribb, "habitat loss affects a wide range of orchids and is, without a doubt, the main threat to orchids as a whole."
According to the IUCN Action Plan, the species of orchids that are most threatened are those that are found in only one part of the world, or rely on one particular species of bird or insect for their pollination. Dr. Strahm concluded by saying, "What we have to remember about orchids is that what makes them interesting is the way they have specialized to attract the birds and insects that pollinate them. This specialization means that without the insects, the plants will not reproduce, and without the habitat, the insects don't survive. So we are not just talking about protecting one species, or even a group of species; we are talking about protecting the entire web of life on which these plants depend."
The main recommendations found in the orchid action plan of IUCN which urgently require action by governments, with the help of orchid lovers and the orchid industry, include:
The preparation of educational programmes on orchids and their role in biodiversity by orchid societies and botanical gardens for the general public;
The preparation of a global checklist of orchid species and the identification of areas of high biodiversity;
The development of legislation and funding to protect, research, and properly monitor these areas;
Ensuring the availability of propagation material of rare and new species for commercial development, preferably in those countries where the species are native, thereby reducing the demand for wild-collected plants.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
For more information or to arrange interviews, contact:
Ricardo Bayón,Special Assistant to the Director General,IUCN, Rue Mauverney 28, 1196 Gland,Switzerland
Tel: (41 22) 999 0288Fax: (41 22) 999 0029E-mail: rbayon@iucnus.org
This article courtesy of http://betterbloomingorchids.com/You may freely reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.
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