Featured — Atlanta Botanical Garden Orchid Conservation - North American Orchid Conservation Center

Florida – 1916

At the turn of the last century, an era of exploitation led to the demise of many of Florida’s most charismatic orchid species. Some orchids fell prey to over-collection and just disappeared in south Florida, while others suffered from loss of habitat as lands were drained and canopy trees were logged for timber.

Photo © John Kunkel Small, State Archives of Florida

Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)

Populations of the Cigar Orchid were decimated in Florida through the loss of habitat and harvesting by collectors. A project to restore this orchid within the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park began in 2007 as a partnership between Atlanta Botanical Garden and Florida Department of Recreation and Parks. In the 1940’s, this preserve was aggressively logged and the loss of habitat reduced numbers of the Cigar Orchid to fewer than 20 individuals at the start of the project.

Photo © James T. Johnson

Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)

Today this partnership includes Florida International University, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and Friends of the Fakahatchee Strand, working together to cross pollinate, collect seed, propagate plants, and reintroduce seedlings into the preserve. Pictured: Dr. Hong Liu (FIU) observes from the forest floor while Matt Richards (Atlanta Botanical Garden) pollinates flowers with pollen harvested from other individuals in the preserve.

Photo © Brad Wilson

Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)

Most of the remaining known plants in the preserve survive on rotting stumps of old growth cypress where pollinators for this orchid are less abundant. Park naturalists had never documented a natural occurring seed capsuleon any of the wild plants so part of the recovery plan included training park staff and volunteers how to cross pollinate plants.

Photo © Brad Wilson

Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)

The recovery efforts include attaching propagated seedlings to host trees of varying heights, ages, and aspects to track their success. The recovery team has now brought numbers of the Cigar Orchid from fewer than 2 dozen plants to near 1000 tracked individuals. The project has been successful through solid partnerships and the generous financial support of Friends of the Fakahatchee Strand, Association for Zoological Horticulture, and Naples Orchid Society.

Photo © Hong Liu

Kentucky Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense)

The Kentucky Lady’s Slipper is one the largest and showiest orchids in North America. In Georgia, a single population remains as a coastal plain relict on privately-owned land, surviving on a hardwood seepage slope surrounded by agriculture and timber plantations.

Photo © Brad Wilson

Kentucky Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense)

Working closely with the landowners, and the Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance, efforts were successful in preserving this small parcel of land from being clear cut and successful propagation efforts at Atlanta Botanical Garden have doubled this natural population. Through close collaboration with Georgia Dept. of Natural Resources, a second population was established from seed-propagated plants on nearby state owned conservation lands to insure this orchid survives.

Photo © Brad Wilson

Florida Dancing Lady (Tolumnia bahamensis)

Florida Dancing Lady is restricted to the margins of 2 counties in south Florida, growing along the ground under scrubby oak species but occasionally climbing as an epiphyte into the lower shrub branches. This orchid survives as fugitive populations in the harshest of environments- hot, exposed sand ridges that form a mosaic within this fire dependent habitat.

Photo © Matt Richards

Florida Dancing Lady (Tolumnia bahamensis)

In 2006, a partnership between Florida Department of Recreation and Parks and Atlanta Botanical Garden was formed to develop a project to boost numbers of this orchid within Jonathan Dickinson State Park. Park staff were trained to cross pollinate individuals and collect seed for laboratory propagation at Atlanta Botanical Garden.

Photo © Carol Denhof

Florida Dancing Lady (Tolumnia bahamensis)

Over 10,000 of these orchids have been successfully propagated at Atlanta Botanical Garden, and returned to sites along coastal sand ridges within the park. Sites and transplanted seedlings are geo-referenced and incorporated into a data base for planning and management purposes and monitored annually to track their success.

Photo © Matt Richards

White Fringeless Orchid (Platanthera integrilabia)

The White Fringeless Orchid is currently a candidate for listing under the Endangered Species Act and Atlanta Botanical Garden has taken an active role in the conservation of this rare and threatened orchid. In Georgia, populations of this orchid have been in decline for many years, threatened by fire suppression, silvaculture practices, urban development, and invasion of exotic species.

Photo © Brad Wilson

White Fringeless Orchid – Platanthera integrilabia

A project funded through National Fish and Wildlife Foundation 5 Star Urban Waters Program was initiated to restore habitat for this orchid in Georgia. Tree canopies were thinned and the woody understory was removed to open wetlands to sunlight, tons of trash and debris were hauled away, and invasive exotic species brought under control. Propagation efforts continue at Atlanta Botanical Garden where hundreds of these orchids are being grown for recovery efforts at these restored sites. Monitoring will track their success and provide direction for future site management.

White Fringeless Orchid (Platanthera integrilabia)

Many of the remaining populations depend on pollinators to successfully reproduce. These restored habitats provide corridors for suitable pollinator activity that link isolated orchid populations, promoting the exchange of genetic material for future generations.

Florida – 2014

“The past has been there all along, reminding us: This time – maybe, hopefully, against all odds, we will get it right.” ―Leslie T. Chang

ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN CONSERVATION EFFORTS

Earth Day reminds us that the most effective means of conserving our native orchids is to protect their habitat. As we learn more about the orchid’s life cycle, habitat requirements, reliance on specific pollinators and the essential role fungi play in seedling establishment, we must face the consequences of past behavior, and take action to protect and conserve our natural heritage.

This month we focus on the conservation efforts of our partners at the Atlanta Botanical Garden. The success of their Conservation Program is rooted in the expertise and dedication of Atlanta Botanical Garden staff and volunteers, and their commitment to work directly with local landowners, botanical institutions and civic organizations to develop new methods of propagating rare plants and establishing them in restored habitats. Their efforts should encourage us to look for opportunities to lead the conservation effort through:

AWARENESS: Learning to identify our native orchids is the first step towards effective conservation. We encourage you to visit our companion site, Go Orchids, to learn more. Go Orchids is being developed not just as a desktop resource but as a tool to identify orchids in the field. Sometimes, just knowing what an orchid looks like can have a significant impact.

GET INVOLVED: Not sure how to find a project in your area? Start with Our Partners. These organizations offer a variety of opportunities for volunteers to get involved in conservation. Many orchid societies have conservation committees that focus efforts on local orchid issues. Your state’s Natural Heritage Program and Native Plant Society focus not just on orchids, but other plants that may be threatened in your area and provide opportunities for you to get involved.

DONATE: Many conservation activities depend on volunteers. Consider supporting their efforts by contributing to purchase equipment and field supplies. Even a small donation, when pooled with many others, can have a meaningful impact. Organizations such as the Nature Conservancy combine donations to acquire vital habitat that needs protection.

Featured — Atlanta Botanical Garden Orchid Conservation

Florida – 1916

Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)

Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)

Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)

Cigar Orchid (Cyrtopodium punctatum)

Kentucky Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense)

Kentucky Lady’s Slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense)

Florida Dancing Lady (Tolumnia bahamensis)

Florida Dancing Lady (Tolumnia bahamensis)

Florida Dancing Lady (Tolumnia bahamensis)

White Fringeless Orchid (Platanthera integrilabia)

White Fringeless Orchid – Platanthera integrilabia

White Fringeless Orchid (Platanthera integrilabia)

Florida – 2014

ATLANTA BOTANICAL GARDEN CONSERVATION EFFORTS

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