Open AccessOrchid Flora of Laos: findings from a survey of limestone karst vegetation in Vang Vieng, Vientiane Province, Laos
Author(s) -
Pankaj Kumar,
Stephan W. Gale,
André Schuiteman,
Somsanith Bouamanivong,
Gunter A. Fischer
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of threatened taxa
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.264
H-Index - 8
eISSN - 0974-7907
pISSN - 0974-7893
DOI - 10.11609/jott.2826.8.12.9397-9417
Subject(s) - herbarium , geography , biodiversity hotspot , threatened species , flora (microbiology) , ecoregion , montenegro , biodiversity , environmental protection , geodiversity , vegetation (pathology) , forestry , ecology , biology , habitat , medicine , genetics , pathology , regional science , bacteria
A major project to study the phytodiversity of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot was initiated by Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden, Hong Kong, in 2011, with the aim of surveying primary forest fragments and identifying conservation priorities within this expansive but highly threatened ecoregion. The Vang Vieng area of Vientiane Province, northern Laos, was chosen as a focus for a pilot expedition, since it features an extensive karst landscape that has barely been explored. Together with officials from the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of Lao PDR, surveys of three sites were conducted in April 2012, at the end of the dry northeast monsoon season. A total of 283 herbarium specimens were collected. These collections comprised nearly 180 specimens from the family Orchidaceae, of which approximately 136 were unique taxa. At least one of these is a species new to science and a further nine represent new distributional records for Laos. A list of the species encountered during the study is presented and the significance of the findings is discussed. Major threats to the natural environment in northern Laos are highlighted.