-
Essay / Current methods of conserving orchid species
As one of the largest families with nearly 25,000 representative species, the Orchidaceae represents approximately one-tenth of all flowering plants in the world – the largest family of plants in the world (Dearnaley, 2007) (Cribb, Kell, Dixon and Barrette, 2003). Most orchid species have medicinal properties with horticultural value such as Gastrodia elata, Dendrobium ofcinale, Ludisia discolor (Luo, Jia and Wang, 2003). This made possible the commercialization of orchids, the rise of the orchid industry and thus threatened and endangered many wild orchids due to over-harvesting or habitat destruction by human activities. As a result, there is now an urgent need for the conservation and sustainable use of orchids (Liu, Luo, & Liu, 2010). Orchids are myco-heterotropic and some are entirely dependent on their fungal partners throughout their lives (Liu, Luo, & Liu, 2010). Generally, orchid seedlings have high mortality, exhibit slow growth after transplanting, and are difficult to stimulate flowering. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Although in some species this dependence on mycorrhizal fungi is reduced once they have acquired photosynthetic capacity at maturity, most species still fail to thrive without their fungal symbionts . Thus, in the current trend of conservation of orchid species, it is necessary to isolate, identify and use compatible mycorrhizal fungi (Zettler, 1997). In this article, a fungus is considered an effective mycorrhizal fungus if it can: (1) promote seed germination, (2) enhance the growth of protocorms, a tuber-shaped body with rhizoids produced by young plants of various orchids. or juvenile plants, and (3) enhance the growth and reproduction of mature plants. Consider the case of G. elata, a Chinese medicinal plant that germinated only when it was able to feed itself by digesting fungi like M. osmundicola that invaded its pro-embryonic cells, but once the plant became established, it passed to digestion. endophytes such as Armillaria mellea which consequently entered its rhizome (Xu & Guo, 2000). That this orchid was expected to associate with two different species of mycorrhizal fungi at different stages of its life cycle promoting both seed germination/growth and vegetative growth after establishment. To mitigate threats to the conservation of orchid species, the current approach involves the propagation of orchids for subsequent reintroduction with the hope of establishing a self-sustaining population in the natural site in the near future. This approach depends on the survival of orchid plants after transplanting from the growing field to the natural environment. Thus, most studies focus on the interaction between plants and fungi that will promote and facilitate seed germination and post-vegetative growth. This comprehensive understanding of plant-fungus interaction would be helpful in creating an alternative approach to orchid conservation regarding their decreasing numbers..