Orchid Conservation and Biodiversity

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 February 2025 | Viewed by 1914

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Global Change Research Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Belidla 986/4a, 60300 Brno, Czech Republic
Interests: ecology; population dynamics; extinction rate; biodiversity; conservation and distribution patterns of orchids

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Botany and Botanical Garden, Faculty of Biology, University of Belgrade, Takovska 43, 11 000 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: orchidaceae; plant ecology; biodiversity; distribution patterns; ecological preferences and conservation of orchids

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding temporal changes in the distribution and abundance of various species is one of the key goals of conservation biology. In recent decades, the diversity, abundance, and distribution of many species have declined dramatically at an unprecedented rate, mainly because of habitat loss and fragmentation. The global rate of species extinction is now up to a hundred times higher than the average over the last 10 million years. To prevent this massive extinction, or at least to reduce its speed, we need very good management plans for the areas where most of the species that are prone to extinction occur, which will be based on good knowledge of the distribution of these species. Studies on the changes in the distributions of species provide critical information on trends in extinctions and information on what causes these changes. This is especially true for endangered groups of plants, such as orchids.

This Special Issue of Plants on orchid conservation and biodiversity aims to provide new insights into orchid diversity, evolution, distribution patterns, habitat and ecological preferences, extinction rates, and speciation drivers across the world. Research papers on systematics, reproductive biology, ecology, evolution, and biogeography, as well as orchid spatial distribution and diversification across ecological and biogeographical gradients connected with their conservation and biodiversity, are welcome.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Zuzana Štípková
Dr. Vladan Djordjević
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • orchid
  • conservation
  • biodiversity
  • distribution patterns
  • speciation
  • ecology
  • biogeography
  • evolution
  • reproductive biology
  • extinction

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 3511 KiB  
Article
Diversity Patterns of Epiphytic Orchids Along Elevation in the Mountains of Western Nepal
by Manisha Awasthi, Santosh Thapa, Bandana Awasthi, Chae Ryeong Lim, Young Han You and Ki Wha Chung
Plants 2024, 13(22), 3256; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13223256 - 20 Nov 2024
Viewed by 300
Abstract
The biodiversity and distribution of epiphytic orchids are strongly influenced by their relationship with host plants, and environmental variables like elevation, slope, and local climate are key factors in determining the abundance and diversity of these orchids. The aim of this study was [...] Read more.
The biodiversity and distribution of epiphytic orchids are strongly influenced by their relationship with host plants, and environmental variables like elevation, slope, and local climate are key factors in determining the abundance and diversity of these orchids. The aim of this study was to examine the richness of orchid species at different elevations within the research area of Nepal. Sampling was conducted at elevations ranging from 1300 m to 2800 m above sea level, using a systematic sampling technique known as belt transects. Six circular plots with a diameter of 5.6 m were established in a horizontal transect at each site, spaced at least 50 m apart, with 100 elevation interval. The analysis revealed a hump-shaped relationship between orchid species richness and elevation, with the highest species richness observed at altitude of 2100–2200 m. The abundance of orchids was significantly correlated with host characteristics, including habit (shrub/tree), bark texture, nature (deciduous/evergreen), and physical factors. This study underscores the significant contribution of host characteristics and environmental factors in explaining the diversity of epiphytic orchid species along the elevation of the Himalayas. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Orchid Conservation and Biodiversity)
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15 pages, 9053 KiB  
Article
Prediction of Suitable Regions for Danxiaorchis yangii Combined with Pollinators Based on the SDM Model
by Xuedie Liu, Can Gao, Guo Yang and Boyun Yang
Plants 2024, 13(21), 3101; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13213101 - 3 Nov 2024
Viewed by 717
Abstract
Danxiaorchis yangii, a newly discovered fully mycoheterotrophic orchid. It relies on Lysimachia alfredii and Dufourea spp. for pollination, and environmental factors closely influence the growth and distribution of these pollinators, which in turn directly affects the growth and reproduction of D. yangii [...] Read more.
Danxiaorchis yangii, a newly discovered fully mycoheterotrophic orchid. It relies on Lysimachia alfredii and Dufourea spp. for pollination, and environmental factors closely influence the growth and distribution of these pollinators, which in turn directly affects the growth and reproduction of D. yangii. Climate change threatens the suitable habitats for these three species, emphasizing the need to understand D. yangii’s response. This study comprehensively utilized the field distribution of D. yangii and related climatic data, along with future climate predictions from global models, to predict the climate suitability areas of D. yangii under two greenhouse gas emission scenarios (SSP245 and SSP370) using species distribution models (SDMs), which encompassed a random forest (RF) model. Additionally, we selected the optimal ensemble model (OEM) for Dufourea spp. and applied generalized boosted models (GBMs) and RF for L. alfredii in our predictions. The study found that precipitation of the driest quarter plays a pivotal role in determining the distribution of D. yangii, with an optimal range of 159 to 730 mm being most conducive to its growth. Comparative analysis further indicated that precipitation exerts a greater influence on D. yangii than temperature. Historically, D. yangii has been predominantly distributed across Jiangxi, Hunan, Zhejiang, and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with Jiangxi Province containing the largest area of highly suitable habitat, and this distribution largely overlaps with the suitable regions of its pollinators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Orchid Conservation and Biodiversity)
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