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Venn diagram showing congruence between Lepanthes richness hotspots, rarity hotspots and states in countries with the highest extinction probabilities for Lepanthes spp. Figures indicate number of states in each category and the corresponding proportion of the total number of states in which Lepanthes occurs.
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Aim
The aim of this analysis was to identify strategies that will maximize efficiency and effectiveness in conservation planning. As many orchids are threatened with extinction for various reasons, our primary objective was to combine hotspots analyses with stochastic extinction modelling to highlight possible conservation priorities for Lepanthes...
Contexts in source publication
Context 1
... 42 of the 46 Lepanthes richness hotspots (91.3%) overlapped with hotspots of rarity, whereas 42 of the 45 rar- ity hotspots (93.3%) overlapped with Lepanthes richness hot- spots (Fig 3). Only Oaxaca, Mexico, Alajuela, Costa Rica, Tolima, Colombia and Piura, Peru were identified as hot- spots of species richness but did not qualify as rarity richness hotspots. ...
Context 2
... Lepanthes richness and rarity richness hotspots only partially corresponded with high threat levels, that is, they occurred in countries with the highest extinction probabilities (Table 2; Fig. 3). In sum, 41.3% of Lepanthes richness hotspots and 42.2% of rarity richness hotspots corresponded with the highest extinction probabilities. Of the countries with the high- est extinction probabilities, only Ecuador comprised states identified as hotspots of richness or rarity richness. Moreover, 19 states identified as both richness ...
Context 3
... hotspots and 42.2% of rarity richness hotspots corresponded with the highest extinction probabilities. Of the countries with the high- est extinction probabilities, only Ecuador comprised states identified as hotspots of richness or rarity richness. Moreover, 19 states identified as both richness and rarity hotspots were located in Ecuador (Fig. 3), equating to 11.6% of the states where Lepanthes occurs and 38.7% of all ...
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Societal Impact Statement
Conserving trees is fundamental to maintaining forests, which are home to about half of the global biodiversity and provide unmeasurable benefits to people. Colombia has 5868 known species of trees, 1148 of which are endemic to the country. Unfortunately, 45% of the endemic trees of Colombia are threatened with extinction,...
Citations
... SDMs are a common and vital tool for conservation planning via establishing the relationship between environmental and occurrence data to predict suitable habitats for target species (Anibaba et al. 2022;Crain et al. 2014;Evans et al. 2020;Gogol-Prokurat 2011;Guisan and Thuiller 2005;Hemrova et al. 2019;McCune and Baraloto 2016). Usually, to obtain better model performance, researchers perform spatial autocorrelation processing of occurrence data to address sampling bias (Araújo and Guisan 2006;Eyre et al. 2022;Loiselle et al. 2007;McCune and Baraloto 2016). ...
The ecological suitability prediction and analysis of specific taxonomic groups at finer geographic scales provide vital references for identifying and prioritizing biodiversity hotspots, especially for uneven species richness. Yet, in predicting suitability for multi-species or groups by species distribution models (SDMs) under highly heterogeneous environments, species bias may occur cause of the unequal protection status and the spatial autocorrelation processing of occurrences. For this, diversity, and protection hotspots were mapped in the south of the Hengduan Mountains, a significant site for global biodiversity. Specifically, it involved creating a network of 1 km² grid cells spanning the region, counting the orchid species, quantifying the protection value, and classifying attributes by the Jenks Natural Breaks Classification in ArcGIS. Each grid has a 5 and 10 km buffer zone that contains attributes composing the diversity and protection hotspot layers, which were compared to the orchid suitability map modeled by SDMs. Results showed that even though there were extensively suitable habitats for orchids, the model results cannot completely cover the whole diversity and protection hotspots at any scale. Based on the map attributes, multi-scenario conservation planning was proposed, respectively the strict conservation scenario (SS), the economical conservation scenario (ES), and the positive conservation scenario (PS), representing different conservation objectives and efforts. This study identifies the critical areas of ecological suitability, diversity, and protection of orchids that facilitate to display of the fundamental biogeographical patterns in this region, which provides meaningful references for regional or global biodiversity conservation and transferable methods for similar studies.
... Our data shows that the species should be of conservation concern due to its restricted geographical range, low population size, and specialized habit. Rare species are more likely to go extinct due to habitat loss and climate change (Crain and Tremblay 2014). ...
Thirteen species (18%) in the genus Dracula (Orchidaceae) in Colombia lack basic information about their ecology and biogeography. Dracula anthracina has remained as a charismatic market-valued species with no information on its natural habitat. We found the precise location of D. anthracina in explorations across the Colombian eastern Cordillera. Our observations of wild populations and cultivated plants suggest that D. nigritella should be reduced to a synonym of D. anthracina based on morphological characters. Furthermore, the species seems to be rare, geographically restricted, and has small populations. Hence, we suggest that D. anthracina should be considered of conservation concern and should be excluded from Ecuador's flora.
Trece especies (18%) del género Dracula en Colombia carecen de información básica de su biogeográfica y ecológica. Dracula anthracina es una especie de alto valor en el mercado, cuya información del habito natural ha permanecido históricamente obscuro. Durante exploraciones de la orquideoflora de la cordillera oriental de Colombia, encontramos la ubicación de D. anthracina. Tras estudiar los caracteres morfológicos de individuos de D. anthracina en su hábitat natural y material cultivado, encontramos que D. nigritella debe ser reducido a sinónimo de D. anthracina. Nuestro muestreo aleatorio sugiere que esta Dracula es rara, con distribución geográfica restringida y poblaciones pequeñas. De tal manera, D. anthracina como especie comercializada debe ser considerada como una especie de conservación endémica de Colombia y debe ser excluida de la flora de Ecuador.
... Lepanthes Sw. (Swartz 1799; Pleurothallidinae) is one of the most species-rich neotropical genera with more than 1164 species with high levels of endemicity (Crain & Tremblay 2014, POWO 2022. This high biodiversity seems to respond to a rapid diversification process (Pérez-Escobar et al. 2017), despite being a recently evolved genus with a short divergence time (Bogarín et al. 2018). ...
... This high biodiversity seems to respond to a rapid diversification process (Pérez-Escobar et al. 2017), despite being a recently evolved genus with a short divergence time (Bogarín et al. 2018). Although Lepanthes is comprised of many highly restricted species (Bogarín et al. 2018, Crain & Tremblay 2014, the genus also has Tadono et al. 2014); forest cover across the sampling area (green represents forest cover, white no forests; (Hansen et al. 2013); and sampling plots (orange dots) and the location of L. bachue (bottom right, blue triangle) at the Santuario de Fauna y Flora de Iguaque. Map composed by E.Parra-Sánchez using QGis 3.241. ...
During an expedition in which we randomly placed 341 plots across a large elevation range (1100- 3880 m) and spatial gradient (~270 km) in the Eastern Cordillera, we found a new species of the genus Lepanthes in Santuario de Fauna y Flora de Iguaque, Boyaca, Colombia. We propose L. bachue as a new species that is most similar to L. papallactae but it differs in its proliferous plants (vs. non proliferous), the petals with the upper lobe 2.5 mm long, the lower lobe 4.5 mm long, larger than the upper one, and the margins fimbriate (vs. lobes subequal, 4.5 mm long and shortly pubescent) and the lip with the blades oblong, sub-sigmoid, adnate to the middle of the column with a short oblong, bifid, an appendix hiding in the middle (vs. blades narrowly elliptical-oblong, adnate to the column above the middle with a recurved pedunculate, biglandular appendix). Our extensive sampling across different areas suggests that this species is geographically restricted and highly specialized in terms of habitat. Thus, it is urgent to protect its natural habitat and population.
... To a certain extent, these studies accumulated experience for habitat restoration and protection in China, but there is still room for development. Given that, the determination of establishing scientific and appropriate evaluation systems to effectively deploy biodiversity protection has become one of the most urgent problems in ecological protection (Crain et al. 2014;Pullin et al. 2013). To fill existing research gaps, we developed an evaluation method for the priority protection of fishes based on the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and selected three priority conservation species coinciding with the status in the watershed, including Ctenopharyngodon idellus, Opsariichthys bidens, and Culter alburnus Basilewsky. ...
It’s essential to identify the priority conservation species in the habitat restoration and biodiversity conservation. Generally, people select the valuable fishes or the commercial fishes as target species in basins, according to experts’ experience rather than the scientific evaluation. With the influence of urban development, construction of water conservancy facilities and human activities, the river habitat of the Shaying River (Xuchang section) is poor. Fish conservation studies play an important part in the habitat restoration of this river section. Thus, we studied the evaluation method for the priority protection of fishes based on multiple ecological dimensions. The method including six multidimensional indicators, namely, habitat suitability, ecological stability, species endangerment criteria, intensity of human interference, genetic value, and species value. Then, we determined the indicator weights by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and assessed the protection priority of fishes based on various assessment criteria and comprehensive qualitative or quantitative analyses. The result shows that Ctenopharyngodon idellus, Opsariichthys bidens, and Culter alburnus Basilewsky have priority for protection, coinciding with the status in the basin. Overall, this study complements the existing indicator species selection methods, and is more scientific and comprehensive, providing an effective method for priority protection species and river habitat restoration projects.
... These variables represent the availability of plants at two scales: i) regional; indicating localities in which an orchid species is present, and ii) local; indicating the number of individuals of a species present in a particular site. Orchids show a very wide range of distribution types: some orchid species are widely distributed but rare, while others are narrowly distributed but abundant (Crain and Tremblay, 2014;Zhang et al., 2015). However, most orchids are narrowly distributed in specific habitats (Fay, 2018). ...
Worldwide, thousands of orchid species are harvested from the wild. Widespread legal and illegal unsustainable
trade has contributed to the decline of many species. However, there is also evidence of long-term, sustainable
wild harvest of some orchid species that contribute to local livelihoods and cultural traditions. There is a clear
need to help guide harvesters and resource managers towards sustainability. However, there is currently no
appropriate framework to guide local harvest decisions, which is especially problematic given huge data limitations,
variations in on-the-ground capacity to monitor and manage resources, and considering that the potential
for sustainable harvest is context-specific. We reviewed the literature on orchid harvest, ecology and
demography; assessed information on the life history of 27 harvested species; and drew on our experience with
diverse orchid taxa to identify characteristics expected to influence harvest sustainability. We identified 23
characteristics within four themes: abundance and distribution; species traits related to growth and reproduction;
local management practices; and demand. We selected 12 characteristics for which information was available for
many species and observable in the field, and used an iterative process to develop a decision-making dichotomous
key. The key identifies if and how the harvest of a given population at a given time can be conducted more
sustainably, offering sets of considerations that harvesters and managers can use and adapt to local contexts.
Critical research gaps include techniques for partial plant harvest and for augmentation; and investigation into
... Orchid hotspots of richness and rarity were studied for the epiphytic genus Lepanthes to determine the most effective conservation strategies. The study found that the most important factor threatening these orchids extinction was habitat loss, and in areas with high habitat loss and fragmentation, ex situ conservation strategies would be most effective (Crain & Tremblay 2014). The results of this study suggest that epiphytic species have a more specialized range of host taxa. ...
There are approximately 30,000 species in the family Orchidaceae, with some species growing terrestrially and others growing as epiphytes. Though the pollination biology of many of these species is not well known, there has been a diversity of taxa recorded as orchid pollinators. Insects, birds, and even a record of a mammal species have been documented as successful pollinators, while some orchids are able to reproduce without the use of a pollen vector. The goal of this review is to provide an overview of orchid pollination tactics, with references to more specific studies of each, and to analyze a large subset of publications to determine differences in pollinator taxa and specificity between epiphytic and terrestrial orchid genera.
This review examines pollination data from over 400 orchid species, including 74 epiphytic and 83 terrestrial orchid genera. Two pollinator taxa, Coleoptera and Hymenoptera (Class: Insecta), were found to pollinate significantly more terrestrial than epiphytic orchid genera, while other taxa showed no significant differences. Hymenoptera were the dominant taxa of pollinator in regards to the overall number of species recorded; however, based on species interaction webs that were built, the Lepidoptera (Class: Insecta) have stronger interactions with the orchid species they pollinate, suggesting a more specific relationship between the two.
... These efforts have led to the recent discovery of some new species, among them, some belonging to the genus Lepanthes (Vieira-Uribe & Moreno 2022). A deeper knowledge of the biodiversity of the area will directly contribute to the implementation of more important conservation programs (Álvarez Davila & Pacheco 2011, Crain & Tremblay 2014). Here we describe and illustrate two new Lepanthes species from natural reserves in Alto de Ventanas, found while conducting research of the orchid flora of Antioquia. ...
Two new species of Lepanthes, L. pembertonii and L. hwangiae, from the North of the Central Cordillera of the Colombian Andes are described and illustrated. Both were found while conducting research in Alto de Ventanas natural reserves with the objective of improving knowledge of the orchid flora of the department of Antioquia, Colombia. Comparison with their morphologically relatives and taxonomical and ecological notes are given.
... In other words, this finding could explain that deforestation in the areas of study was not linked to the education level of the locals. On the American continent, the largest species extinctions occurred in Haiti and Ecuador (Crain & Tremblay 2014). Production of charcoal for sale was the main economic activity of several young men living in rural areas in the North and Northeast departments of Haiti. ...
Trees provide services to human beings and protect the environment. This study investigates the causes of the failure of reforestation projects in the North and Northeast departments of Haiti. Two questionnaires with closed- and open-ended questions were used for face-to-face and semi-structured interviews with local and non-local authorities, respectively. The test of proportions was used for the statistical analysis, where a result was considered significant when the p-value was less than 0.05. The results showed that 86.8% of the non-local authorities were used to participating in projects of reforestation in their localities. The lack of follow-up and participation of residents in decisions about the type of trees planted were the main causes of the failure of these projects. The interviewees were accustomed to cutting trees to produce charcoal (95.8%) and enlarging their gardens (70.8%). However, 90.0% of each category would invest in purchasing cleaner cookstoves and stop using charcoal if the government agreed to finance up to 50.0% of such a project. The findings of this research could help both the decision-makers and the Haitian government to understand the causes of the failures of reforestation projects in Haiti and adopt an effective way to reduce deforestation in the country.
... Thus, as a flagship group in plant conservation, orchids have been a hot topic in endangered plant conservation research for a long time. First, habitat loss is the most lethal variable for explaining extinction probabilities [10]. Human activities (including forest clear-cutting and the expansion of agricultural landscapes) have exacerbated the natural fragmentation of landscapes [11]. ...
Because of species diversity and troubling conservation status in the wild, Orchidaceae has been one of the taxa with most concern in population ecological research for a long time. Although Orchidaceae is a group with high adaptability, they have become endangered for complex and various reasons such as the germination? difficulty and habitat loss, which makes it difficult to develop an accurate protection strategy. Phaius flavus is a terrestrial orchid which used to be widely distributed in central and southern Asia; however, large populations are difficult to find in the wild. Thus, the aim of this study was to provide a new perspective for conserving endangered P . flavus by investigating the mechanisms of its population decline; we established time-specific life and fertility tables, age pyramids, survival curves, and mortality curves for this plant and then conducted Leslie matrix model. We found that both of the populations from Wuhu Mount (WM) and Luohan Mount (LM) showed declining trends and exhibited pot-shaped age pyramids, low net reproductive rates, and negative intrinsic growth rates. The population from the Beikengding Mount (BM) showed a stable status with a bell-shaped age pyramid. However, it has a significant risk of decline because of the low net reproductive rate and intrinsic growth rate. This study use time-specific life and fertility tables, age pyramids, survival curves, and mortality curves, showed that the population decline of P . flavus could be attributed to 1) the shortage of seedlings caused by the low germination rate in the wild and 2) the loss of adult individuals caused by anthropogenic disturbances. To protect this species from extinction in these areas, we suggest that human activities in these habitats should be strictly forbidden and ex situ conservation of this plant in botanical gardens is also necessary.
... Orchidaceae is a large family of plants, with about 763 genera and 28000 species (Crain Tremblay, 2014;Christenhusz Byng, 2016;Zhang et al., 2018). Of the 7500 angiosperm species that are pollinated through deception, approximately 6500 are orchids (Renner, 2006), suggesting that deception mainly occurs in orchids. ...
Though some hypotheses have obtained theoretical and empirical supports, it remains largely unknown in the aspect that how deception increases orchid fitness. This study used food-deceptive Papilionanthe teres as experimental material to explore the ecological significance of orchid deceptive pollination. Deception together with obvious pollinarium bending increases P. teres fitness by means of decreasing geitonogamy under the natural conditions. The proportions of full seeds, single fruit weight and seed weight per fruit after self-pollination and nectar addition were significantly lower than that after cross-pollination and natural conditions (all p ＜ 0.05). Seed viability (seed growth and development rate) after cross-pollination and natural condition were significantly higher than that after self-pollination and nectar addition (all p ＜ 0.05). However, there was no significant difference in all the above parameter values of fruits and seeds between cross-pollination and natural conditions (all p ＞ 0.05). These results confirmed that P. teres has high level of genetic load, and self-fertilization or geitonogamy will cause serious inbreeding depression. These conclusions support the outcrossing hypothesis that ecological significance of P. teres deception is to promote outcrossing and improve the ability of the offspring to adapt to the environment.
