Sustainable conservation perspectives for epiphytic orchids in the central himalayas, nepal

Anthropogenic disturbances are major drivers of biodiversity loss. This is especially true for subtropical and tropical forest ecosystems. Epiphytes are plants that grow upon another plant (often trees) and, thus, fundamentally depend on their hosts. Epiphytic plants are diverse and can create important microcosms for many other organisms, including micro-organisms, insects, birds and mammals, which are rarely encountered on the floor. We identified the main habitat requirements for the conservation of epiphytic orchids and we outline key areas to focus on when designing management strategies for their protection and sustainable utilization. This approach is based on a review of the literature, as well as our own research on habitat requirements and the distribution of epiphytic orchids along a gradient from natural habitats to single trees in urban areas in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Key areas to focus on for the sustainable conservation and utilization of epiphytic orchids are (i) habitat protection, (ii) habitat restoration, and (iii) the socio-economic relevance (utilization to fundraising) of conservation. While remnants of natural habitats are indispensable for the conservation of epiphytic orchid communities, groups of native trees in urban settings can still serve as stepping stones for epiphytic orchids. Therefore, the conservation of even small patches of primary forest within agricultural land areas or single trees within religious park complexes is crucial for the continual existence of epiphytic orchid populations in urban areas. Finally, we propose management concepts for the long-term maintenance of high epiphytic diversity. This framework has been developed for epiphytic orchids in the Himalayas, but can be more generally applied to other groups of epiphytes and other regions in the tropics and subtropics.