Orchids are unmatched in their floristic diversity, wide range of growth habitats, and, most importantly, their unique and highly adapted biology and ecology. With terrestrial orchids now among the world's most threatened plants, the need for conservation is paramount. Conservation Methods for Terrestrial Orchids equips orchid biologists, botanists, conservationists, students, and hobbyists with the necessary methodologies to facilitate the conservation of this endangered group of orchids.This first-ever comprehensive volume on terrestrial orchids includes background information, techniques, procedures, and relevant case studies on topics such as monitoring, approaches used for mycorrhizal isolation and culture, seed sowing techniques, soil baiting, symbiotic culture of terrestrial species, translocation of propagated plants, pollination, genetic approaches for orchid biology and conservation, innovations in alginate encapsulation of seed and mycorrhizal fungus, and more. The focus of this volume is on terrestrial orchids as these species face the greatest conservation threats, however, the techniques described in this book can also be applied equally to epiphytic (tree) orchids.

Table of Contents:
Chapter 1: Introduction to Orchid Conservation Why Are Orchids Rare? What this Book Means to Orchid Conservation Chapter Outlines Epilogue on the Future of Orchid Conservation Chapter 2: In Situ Monitoring, Demographics, and Conservation Instruments 2.1 Background 2.2 Monitoring Methods 2.2.1 Permanent Pegs 2.2.2 Transect Method 2.2.3 Plot Method 2.2.4 Mapping and Recording Orchid Recruitment Case Study 2.1 2.3 Essential Parameters in Demographic Studies Case Study 2.2 Case Study 2.3 2.4 Photo Points as Tools in Monitoring Case Study 2.4 2.5 Recovery Plans for Terrestrial Orchids 2.6 International Conservation Instruments 2.6.1 How the Red Listing Process Works Chapter 3: Orchid Mycorrhizal Associations 3.1 Background 3.2 Orchid Mycorrhizal Dependency and Nutrition Case Study 3.1 3.3 Identity and Specificity Case Study 3.2 3.4 Achlorophyllous Orchids 3.5 Orchid Mycorrhizal Methods 3.6 Fungal Culture Isolations 3.6.1 Plant Material Collection Procedure 3.1 3.6.2 Surface Sterilization 3.6.3 Isolation of Pelotons Procedure 3.2 3.7 Mycorrhizal Culture Growth and Storage Procedure 3.3 3.8 Media for Fungal Culture Procedure 3.4 Procedure 3.5 Procedure 3.6 Procedure 3.7 Procedure 3.8 Procedure 3.9 Chapter 4: Orchid Seed Germination Techniques 4.1 Background 4.2 Mycorrhizal Fungi for Seed Germination of Terrestrial Orchids 4.3 Properties of Orchid Seeds 4.4 Hand Pollination for Seed Production 4.5 Seed Collection Procedure 4.1 4.6 Sowing Mature Seed Case Study 4.1 4.6.1 Seed Viability Staining Procedure 4.2 Case Study 4.2 4.6.2 Sterilants Case Study 4.3 4.6.3 Stages of Seed Germination 4.6.4 Seed sowing—Packet Method Procedure 4.3 4.6.5 Seed Sowing—Syringe Method Procedure 4.4 4.6.6 Seed Sowing—Direct Sterilization Procedure 4.5 4.7 Sowing Techniques for Immature Seed Procedure 4.6 Case Study 4.4 Chapter 5: Assessing Mycorrhiza in Soil 5.1 Background 5.2 Mycorrhizal Specificity in Soil 5.3 Recruitment Limitation 5.4 Distribution of Mycorrhiza in Soils 5.5 Niche Exploitation and Competition 5.6 In Situ Seed Baiting Methods 5.6.1 The Slide Frame Baiting Method Procedure 5.1 Case Study 5.1 5.6.2 Nylon Mesh In Situ Seed Baiting Procedure 5.2 5.6.3 Seed baiting for epiphytic orchids Case Study 5.2 5.6.4 Seed Germination in Retrieved Soil Procedure 5.3 Chapter 6: Orchid Culture for Conservation 6.1 Background 6.2 Symbiotic Orchid Propagation 6.3 Seedling Development Case Study 6.1 6.4 Transfer to Soil Mix 6.4.1 Sand/Vermiculite over Agar Growth Containers Procedure 6.1 6.5 Pot cultivation 6.5.1 Requirements for Growing Terrestrial Orchids Case Study 6.2 6.5.2 Potting Mixes 6.5.3 Pasteurizing Potting Mixes 6.5.4 Growing Conditions 6.5.5 Disease and Pest Control 6.5.6 Repotting of Terrestrial Orchids Procedure 6.2 6.6 Direct Seeding 6.6.1 Inoculating Potting Mix Procedure 6.3 6.6.2 Mature Plants Chapter 7: Herbaceous Terrestrial Orchid Translocation 7.1 Background 7.2 Requirements for Successful Orchid Translocation 7.3 Propagation for Translocation Case Study 7.1 7.4 Assisted Migration 7.5 Framework for Translocation Projects 7.6 Restoring Habitats Suitable for Orchids Case Study 7.2 7.7 Methods for Terrestrial Orchid Translocation 7.7.1 Out-planting Juvenile Herbaceous Terrestrial Orchids Case Study 7.3 7.7.2 Out-planting by Tuber/Rhizome Transfer 7.7.3 In Situ Seed Sowing Case Study 7.4 7.7.4 Transplanting Mature Wild Plants 7.8 Pre- and Post-translocation Surveying and Monitoring Case Study 7.5 Chapter 8: Orchid Pollination 8.1 Background 8.2 Pollinator Limitation 8.2.1 Testing for Pollination Limitation 8.2.2 Resource Limitation 8.3 Pollination Strategies 8.3.1 Pollination by Reward (Food Advertisement) 8.3.2 Pollination by Deception 8.3.3 Food Deception Case Study 8.1 8.3.4 Sexual Deception Case Study 8.2 8.4 Pollinator Inferences in Conservation Planning 8.5 Pollinator Chemistry Chapter 9: Genetic Techniques in Orchid Conservation 9.1 Background 9.2 Population Genetics 9.2.1 Principal Population Genetic Markers for Conservation 9.3 Molecular Phylogenetics/Systematics Case Study 9.1 Case Study 9.2 9.4 Quantitative Genetics 9.5 Mycorrhizal Specificity in Orchid Populations 9.6 Considerations in Undertaking a Conservation Genetics Study 9.7 Scoring Molecular Data 9.8 Analysis of Data Case Study 9.3 9.9 Technical Notes: DNA Extraction Procedure 9.1 Procedure 9.2 9.9.1 DNA Extraction of Mycorrhizal Fungi Chapter 10: Storage of Orchid Seed and Mycorrhiza 10.1 Background 10.2 Securing Collections of High Conservation Value 10.3 Seed Quality 10.4 Orchid Seedbanking Case Study 10.1 10.5 Vouchering Specimens 10.6 Genetic Considerations in Seed Collection Programs 10.7 Living Collections as an Ex Situ Conservation Tool Procedure 10.1 10.8 Long-term Storage of Orchid-mycorrhizal Fungi Case Study 10.2 Procedure 10.2 10.9 Alginate Encapsulation of Orchid Seed and Fungus Procedure 10.3 Chapter 11: References