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Botanic Gardens Conservation International, in partnership with NAOCC’s collaborators at the United States Botanic Garden, has published a global ex situ survey of orchids. Ex situ collections grown in botanic gardens are a vital conservation measure offering protection to species away from their native habitat and any in situ threats. Ex situ collections can also form the basis of reintroduction and restoration programs, helping to improve the conservation status of orchid species in the wild. The report highlights the 272 orchid genera that are not known in ex situ collections, a vital conservation measure that could prevent extinction. This means that 35% of orchid taxa have no back-up protection if threatened in situ populations are lost. Expanding orchid ex situ collections insures a greater diversity of species and sufficient genetic diversity to prevent species extinction and allow their use in recovery and restoration programs, especially in biodiverse regions.
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