Faced with such a multitude of threats to the natural world, it is all-too-easy to become despond... more Faced with such a multitude of threats to the natural world, it is all-too-easy to become despondent. Yet the orchid community in general is becoming much more aware of the problems and, increasingly prepared to take action. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to focus on what can and is being done to conserve orchids.
Los Almacenes de Semillas de Orquídeas para Uso Sostenible (Orchid Seed Stores for Sustainable U... more Los Almacenes de Semillas de Orquídeas para Uso Sostenible (Orchid Seed Stores for Sustainable Use – oSSSu Por sus siglas en inglés) es una iniciativa de tres años del proyecto Iniciativa Darwin del Reino Unido, con el principal objetivo de establecer una red global de bancos de semillas de orquídeas, enfocándose inicialmente en aquellos “puntos calientes” de biodiversidad en Asia y América Latina. Al momento de escribir este documento, hay 20 instituciones participantes en 16 países. A más largo plazo, nuestro objetivo es el de incluir un mayor número de instituciones de todo el mundo, y especialmente de países africanos. Tenemos la confianza de que una semilla seca de orquídea de buena calidad tiene el potencial sobrevivir durante muchas décadas bajo condiciones de temperatura de un banco de semillas convencional de alrededor de -20 C. Las instituciones participantes han recibido tubos para el almacenamiento de semillas, junto con los fondos para adquirir una congelado...
Although it would appear that very few orchid species have, as yet, become extinct in the wild, s... more Although it would appear that very few orchid species have, as yet, become extinct in the wild, such are the threats to many orchid populations, this situa- tion appears unlikely to continue (Koopowitz, 2001). Just as significant as the loss of individual species is the erosion of genetic diversity within those species. As numbers decline the size of the gene pool reduces, and the rarer alleles begin to disappear.
Dry seeds of many orchid species, when stored at low temperatures, are capable of maintaining hig... more Dry seeds of many orchid species, when stored at low temperatures, are capable of maintaining high levels of viability for many years, supporting orchid seed banking as a valuable part of emerging integrated conservation strategies. The Orchid Seed Science and Sustainable Use (OSSSU) network has already stored over 300+ species across 26 countries around the world. Its future ambition to store seeds representing a minimum of one thousand species in the next five years, and to expand the network to include more institutes and countries, provides an example of what can be achieved by a small dedicated group, willing to share their technical expertise and to develop a deeper understanding of the underlying science. Recent work indicates that it may also be possible to store orchid pollen of some species for a minimum of six years under similar conditions to those used for orchid seeds, thereby facilitating pollen exchange between collections. OSSSU partners in a number of countries have already demonstrated that raising plants from stored seeds can be used successfully in reintroduction projects.
† Background and Aims Pollinator-limited seed-set in some terrestrial orchids is compensated for ... more † Background and Aims Pollinator-limited seed-set in some terrestrial orchids is compensated for by the presence of long-lived flowers. This study tests the hypothesis that pollen from these insect-pollinated orchids should be desiccation tolerant and relatively long lived using four closely related UK terrestrial species; Anacamptis morio, Dactylorhiza fuchsii, D. maculata and Orchis mascula. † Methods Pollen from the four species was harvested from inflorescences and germinated in vitro, both immediately and also after drying to simulate interflower transit. Their tolerance to desiccation and short-term survival was additionally assessed after 3 d equilibration at a range of relative humidities (RHs), and related to constructed sorption isotherms (RH vs. moisture content, MC). Ageing of D. fuchsii pollen was further tested over 2 months against temperature and RH, and the resultant survival curves were subjected to probit analysis, and the distribution of pollen death in time (s) was determined. The viability and siring ability, following artificial pollinations, were determined in D. fuchsii pollen following storage for 6 years at-20 8C. † Key Results The pollen from all four species exhibited systematic increases in germinability and desiccation tolerance as anthesis approached, and pollen from open flowers generally retained high germinability. Short-term storage revealed sensitivity to low RH, whilst optimum survival occurred at comparable RHs in all species. Similarly, estimated pollen life spans (s) at differing temperatures were longest under the dry conditions. Despite a reduction in germination and seeds per capsule, long-term storage of D. fuchsii pollen did not impact on subsequent seed germination in vitro. † Conclusions Substantial pollen desiccation tolerance and life span of the four entomophilous orchids reflects a resilient survival strategy in response to unpredictable pollinator visitation, and presents an alternative approach to germplasm conservation.
In 1996 the IUCN/SSC Orchid Specialist Group published a Status Survey and Conservation Action Pl... more In 1996 the IUCN/SSC Orchid Specialist Group published a Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan that included a number of recommendations designed to address the problem of a projected imminent and rapid decline of species. Orchids remain subject to a multiplicity of threats in their natural habitats and, in addition to the usual suspects of habitat loss and land conversion, climate change has exerted a measurable effect on some orchid populations. Collection of orchids for traditional medicine is having a significant effect both within China and surrounding countries. Some progress has been made in achieving the targets set for Red Listing of endangered species in some countries, but other countries are lagging behind. In addition to successful initiatives in preserving natural habitats, a number of projects around the world have demonstrated that it is possible both to bring endangered species into cultivation and successfully reintroduce them into the wild. Orchid Seed Stores...
Page 1. Ex Situ Conservation of Orchids in a Warming World Philip T. Seaton1,4 & Hong Hu2 &am... more Page 1. Ex Situ Conservation of Orchids in a Warming World Philip T. Seaton1,4 & Hong Hu2 & Holger Perner3 & Hugh W. Pritchard1 1 Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, Ardingly ...
Faced with such a multitude of threats to the natural world, it is all-too-easy to become despond... more Faced with such a multitude of threats to the natural world, it is all-too-easy to become despondent. Yet the orchid community in general is becoming much more aware of the problems and, increasingly prepared to take action. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to focus on what can and is being done to conserve orchids.
Los Almacenes de Semillas de Orquídeas para Uso Sostenible (Orchid Seed Stores for Sustainable U... more Los Almacenes de Semillas de Orquídeas para Uso Sostenible (Orchid Seed Stores for Sustainable Use – oSSSu Por sus siglas en inglés) es una iniciativa de tres años del proyecto Iniciativa Darwin del Reino Unido, con el principal objetivo de establecer una red global de bancos de semillas de orquídeas, enfocándose inicialmente en aquellos “puntos calientes” de biodiversidad en Asia y América Latina. Al momento de escribir este documento, hay 20 instituciones participantes en 16 países. A más largo plazo, nuestro objetivo es el de incluir un mayor número de instituciones de todo el mundo, y especialmente de países africanos. Tenemos la confianza de que una semilla seca de orquídea de buena calidad tiene el potencial sobrevivir durante muchas décadas bajo condiciones de temperatura de un banco de semillas convencional de alrededor de -20 C. Las instituciones participantes han recibido tubos para el almacenamiento de semillas, junto con los fondos para adquirir una congelado...
Although it would appear that very few orchid species have, as yet, become extinct in the wild, s... more Although it would appear that very few orchid species have, as yet, become extinct in the wild, such are the threats to many orchid populations, this situa- tion appears unlikely to continue (Koopowitz, 2001). Just as significant as the loss of individual species is the erosion of genetic diversity within those species. As numbers decline the size of the gene pool reduces, and the rarer alleles begin to disappear.
Dry seeds of many orchid species, when stored at low temperatures, are capable of maintaining hig... more Dry seeds of many orchid species, when stored at low temperatures, are capable of maintaining high levels of viability for many years, supporting orchid seed banking as a valuable part of emerging integrated conservation strategies. The Orchid Seed Science and Sustainable Use (OSSSU) network has already stored over 300+ species across 26 countries around the world. Its future ambition to store seeds representing a minimum of one thousand species in the next five years, and to expand the network to include more institutes and countries, provides an example of what can be achieved by a small dedicated group, willing to share their technical expertise and to develop a deeper understanding of the underlying science. Recent work indicates that it may also be possible to store orchid pollen of some species for a minimum of six years under similar conditions to those used for orchid seeds, thereby facilitating pollen exchange between collections. OSSSU partners in a number of countries have already demonstrated that raising plants from stored seeds can be used successfully in reintroduction projects.
† Background and Aims Pollinator-limited seed-set in some terrestrial orchids is compensated for ... more † Background and Aims Pollinator-limited seed-set in some terrestrial orchids is compensated for by the presence of long-lived flowers. This study tests the hypothesis that pollen from these insect-pollinated orchids should be desiccation tolerant and relatively long lived using four closely related UK terrestrial species; Anacamptis morio, Dactylorhiza fuchsii, D. maculata and Orchis mascula. † Methods Pollen from the four species was harvested from inflorescences and germinated in vitro, both immediately and also after drying to simulate interflower transit. Their tolerance to desiccation and short-term survival was additionally assessed after 3 d equilibration at a range of relative humidities (RHs), and related to constructed sorption isotherms (RH vs. moisture content, MC). Ageing of D. fuchsii pollen was further tested over 2 months against temperature and RH, and the resultant survival curves were subjected to probit analysis, and the distribution of pollen death in time (s) was determined. The viability and siring ability, following artificial pollinations, were determined in D. fuchsii pollen following storage for 6 years at-20 8C. † Key Results The pollen from all four species exhibited systematic increases in germinability and desiccation tolerance as anthesis approached, and pollen from open flowers generally retained high germinability. Short-term storage revealed sensitivity to low RH, whilst optimum survival occurred at comparable RHs in all species. Similarly, estimated pollen life spans (s) at differing temperatures were longest under the dry conditions. Despite a reduction in germination and seeds per capsule, long-term storage of D. fuchsii pollen did not impact on subsequent seed germination in vitro. † Conclusions Substantial pollen desiccation tolerance and life span of the four entomophilous orchids reflects a resilient survival strategy in response to unpredictable pollinator visitation, and presents an alternative approach to germplasm conservation.
In 1996 the IUCN/SSC Orchid Specialist Group published a Status Survey and Conservation Action Pl... more In 1996 the IUCN/SSC Orchid Specialist Group published a Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan that included a number of recommendations designed to address the problem of a projected imminent and rapid decline of species. Orchids remain subject to a multiplicity of threats in their natural habitats and, in addition to the usual suspects of habitat loss and land conversion, climate change has exerted a measurable effect on some orchid populations. Collection of orchids for traditional medicine is having a significant effect both within China and surrounding countries. Some progress has been made in achieving the targets set for Red Listing of endangered species in some countries, but other countries are lagging behind. In addition to successful initiatives in preserving natural habitats, a number of projects around the world have demonstrated that it is possible both to bring endangered species into cultivation and successfully reintroduce them into the wild. Orchid Seed Stores...
Page 1. Ex Situ Conservation of Orchids in a Warming World Philip T. Seaton1,4 & Hong Hu2 &am... more Page 1. Ex Situ Conservation of Orchids in a Warming World Philip T. Seaton1,4 & Hong Hu2 & Holger Perner3 & Hugh W. Pritchard1 1 Seed Conservation Department, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Wakehurst Place, Ardingly ...
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