Diversity of Wild Orchids and their Conservation at Champasack University

Abstract

From October, 2013 to September, 2014, the diversity of the wild Orchids at Champasack University area was surveyed and species were recorded. The study site were taken an area of 500 meter wide along the both side of Leusy steam bank, with 5,000 meter long. at around 50 ha of the Champasack University area. Seventy one numbers of living collections were collected. Seven genera and 14 species were morphological classified and identified which are 5 species of Dendrobium such as Dendrobium cariniferum Rchb.f. D. christyanum Rchb.f. D. draconis Rchb.f. D. crumenatum Sw. and D. indivisum (BI.) Miq. Three species of Bulbophyllum that are Bulbophyllum intricatum Rchb.f., B. lemniscatoides Seidenf., B. laxiflorum (Blume) Lindl. and B. Sp., Aerides only one species such as Aerides multiflora, Symbidium only one species such as Cymbidium bicolor, Flickingeria only one species such as Flickingeria fimbriata Luisia only one species such as Luisia psyche) and Rhynchostylis only one species such as Rhynchostylis gigantean. In this study, high diversity of wild Orchid were recorded, in the other hand there are some threats to the wild Orchids, in generally, there are the lost of the host trees and habitat clearing for roads and building construction in the University area. In this study, one genus is unidentified to species and not yet recognized to Lao Orchids as sp. and the terestial Orchid is absent, therefore only epiphytic Orcids were found.