Ex Situ Conservation of Orchids in a Warming World

Whilst there is overwhelming scientific evidence that dramatic changes in regional climates are likely to occur throughout the 21st century, the scientific community remains uncertain how the effects of global heating will combine with other environmental factors to affect wild orchid populations. It is, however, likely that many populations will be affected adversely and that in situ conservation techniques by themselves will not be sufficient to prevent the extinction of many species. A range of complimentary ex situ strategies are discussed. Amongst these orchid seed banking has been shown to be an invaluable tool for conserving the maximum amount of genetic diversity in the minimum space and has the potential to enable the conservation of valuable material for possible re-introduction and habitat restoration programmes in the future. The Darwin Initiative project, ‘Orchid Seed Stores for Sustainable Use’ (OSSSU), is currently establishing a global network of orchid seed banks focussing initially on countries with high orchid biodiversity in Asia and Latin America. Particular reference is made to ex situ conservation in China, together with the urgent need to gather more data to determine which habitats and species are most at risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future.