Abstract
Darjeeling Himalaya, one of the biodiversity hotspots of the world (Eastern Himalaya) is a virtual goldmine of orchids. A comprehensive study on the orchid diversity in Darjeeling Himalaya (West Bengal) was conducted from 2016 to 2018 with the objective to assess the presence of orchids. A total of 25 species belonging to 18 genera were identified in the different forested regions during the study, of which 80% (20 species) were epiphytic and 20% (5 species) were terrestrial. This study noticed that both epiphytic and terrestrial orchids showed altitudinal variation ranging from 701 ft to 6009 ft Bulbophyllum leopardinum was observed at lowest altitude (701 ft), whereas the Phalaenopsis mannii was found at 6009 ft (highest altitude). In the present study, the collected orchid species were arranged alphabetically; their author citation, synonyms, common names, distribution in the world as well as in the study area along with its altitude, habitats, host plants (in case of epiphytic orchids), date of collection, voucher specimen numbers, and botanical description were given with a special focus on present IUCN conservation status (2018) and population trend. Out of 25 orchid species recorded in the present study, 4 orchid species are reported in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Version 2018–1. These are Paphiopedilum insigne, Bulbophyllum leopardinum, Dendrobium aphyllum, and Vanda tessellata. The vegetation of this region is under significant threat from a combination of logging, construction of river valley projects, agriculture, and human population increases. Orchids are collected on a “massive scale” by the local population for sale. In addition to this, forests in the region have suffered from a very high level of habitat loss, fragmentation, and illegal collection for the horticultural trade which threatens many orchids in this region. The present study also aimed at to document the most endangered species that were not reported in IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
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Acknowledgments
Senior author (Mohammed Rahamtulla) acknowledges the University Grants Commission, New Delhi, for awarding Maulana Azad National Fellowship (MANF); thanks are due to Shri Udai C. Pradhan for identification of orchids and providing logistic support.
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Rahamtulla, M., Roy, A.K., Khasim, S.M. (2020). Orchid Diversity in Darjeeling Himalaya, India: Present Status and Conservation. In: Khasim, S., Hegde, S., González-Arnao, M., Thammasiri, K. (eds) Orchid Biology: Recent Trends & Challenges . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-32-9456-1_9
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