<i>Vanda thwaitesii</i> an Endangered Orchid Species of Western Ghats, India Needs Conservation Action as Revealed through Population Studies

S. William Decruse

doi:10.36808/if/2023/v149i9/167997

Vanda thwaitesii an Endangered Orchid Species of Western Ghats, India Needs Conservation Action as Revealed through Population Studies

Authors

S. William Decruse KSCSRE-Jawaharlal Nehru Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute, Palode, Thiruvananthapuram- 695562

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36808/if/2023/v149i9/167997

Keywords:

Endemic Orchids, Conservation, Population Status.

Abstract

Understanding of population strength, regeneration status and genetic structure is very important for the management of conservation in any endangered species. Vanda thwaitesii is a notified endangered orchid of Western Ghats, India demanding evaluation of population status for conservation action and thus has been carried out. Extensive surveys in Western Ghats revealed its distribution at 489 to 1168 m altitudes extending from Idukki District of Kerala to Coorg district of Karnataka. The entire population that reached reproductive phase was represented by small to medium sized plants possessing 5-30 cm long stem. New recruits were observed in significant numbers in Wayanadu, Coorg and Idukki districts. Out of a total of 1239 plants scored in all localities, 13.1% of the adults and 4.2% of the new recruits were in protected forests. Highly fragmented habitats as inhabited land and way side trees hold 85% of the adults and 96% of the new recruits. Mangifera indica and Dalbergia latifolia together harbors 64% of the populations out of eighteen host trees identified. Occurrence of majority of the populations in highly fragmented habitats outside protected forests necessitates immediate conservation of this plant species in safer localities.

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