The Star, Malaysia : Cameron Highlands - Replanting rare orchids

Tuesday, April 01, 2003

Cameron Highlands : Replanting rare orchids

By S.S. YOGA

The Society of Regional Environmental Awareness of Cameron Highlands (REACH), formed by concerned residents alarmed by unbridled development in the highlands, is a sterling example of what a group of like-minded individuals can do to promote conservation. The group's next uphill task: to rescue wild orchids which face the twin threat of indiscriminate destruction of their habitats and over-collection of commercial purposes.

CAMERON Highlands has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons – the levelling of hillsites, and disturbance to another of its heritage, the mossy forest. But all is not lost up in the highlands. A group of concerned local residents is going all out to raise awareness on the need to save the highlands from developmental and agricultural pillage.

The Society of Regional Environ-mental Awareness of Cameron Highlands (REACH), formed two years ago by the local community who was increasing alarmed by unbridled development in the highlands, is working closely with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Malaysia to promote conservation in the highlands.

The Phaius callosus orchid, found in the Sungai Pauh forest reserve in Tanah Rata, Cameron Highlands, is a commercial variety which is highly sought after by collectors.

On Jan 26, the two NGOs made an attempt to rectify what man, in his greed, has sought to plunder. They planted 20 specimens of slipper orchids at a selected site in the forest in Camerons, and Reach vice-president Embi Abdullah is hopeful that they will thrive.

These much sought-after orchids are beautiful specimens of flora which get their name from the pouch (the lower-most petal of an orchid) which looks like a slipper.

“Many have claimed to successfully cultivate them in nurseries, but they can only last one season before becoming infertile,” says Embi.

“The slipper orchid is an endangered species as collectors have been removing them from the jungle. Previous attempts to replant them in the wild have been unsuccessful; perhaps the wrong companion plants were used. We are trying again and hopefully the plants will thrive this time.”

The companion being used now is another orchid of the Phaius flavus species.

“The roots of that orchid host a type of fungus which will help germinate the seeds of the slipper orchid, in this case, the Paphiopedilum barbatum species,” explains Embi. “Earlier we used the Phaius callosus species as companion but it didn’t quite work out.”

The Bulbophylum lemnicatoides is a very rare epiphytic and commercial orchid.

He adds that this symbiotic arrangement is quite common among orchids as specific fungi have the right enzymes to bring the seeds out of dormancy. The seeds of orchids can be dormant for thousands of years before they bloom suddenly, given the right conditions.

Search and rescue

Reach has a more ambitious project than just rescuing the slipper orchids. They want to try and rescue all the other highland orchids from being harmed. To do that they need to first locate and record the types of orchid growing in the highland.

One can look for many features in identifying orchids but the sure-fire way to distinguish the species is to look at the flower. So the best time for doing a survey would be during the flowering season, which cuts down the window of opportunity for doing a survey.

“For some species there are two flowering seasons a year; for others, just one. For the slipper orchid, the flowering season is once a year, from April to May. For orchids with a second season, they may flower again from August to October,” Embi points out.

Trekking through the jungle in search of wild orchids is no easy task, as we soon discovered, when we joined an outing organised by Reach and WWF. The terrestrial orchids could be located in inaccessible areas on the ground, while the epiphytic orchids could be high up on a tree, and out of view.

As it was March, there were some early bloomers and Embi could identify seven different species of orchids.

Reach president Ramakrishnan Ramasamy discloses that their seven-member Biodiversity sub-committee, headed by Embi, started their survey of wild orchids in the Camerons last April. Previously it was thought that there were 800 species of orchids in the peninsula, and 300 of them were in the highlands. But Reach’s survey has so far recorded 511 species!

Embi points out that some of the “new” species recorded could be a result of the increase in temperature in the Camerons. As orchids are vulnerable to increases in temperature, some of the new species could be lowland species which could now thrive in the highlands.

Ramakrishan says there are signs of change taking place: “A number of bird species previously found in the lowlands have been spotted in the Camerons.”

This could mean that we are slowly losing our highland forest ecosystem as it is gradually being taken over by lowland flora.

The Reach survey uncovered seven possible new species of orchid which will be sent to orchidologists in the Kew Gardens in Britain or the Singa-pore Botanical Gardens for registration. Reach is confident that once it has gone through its records, more new species will be uncovered.

The Mischobulbum is a terrestrial species which is rare and also a favourite among collectors.

“In defining a new variety, there has to be at least two new characteristics that differ from the original. It could be the shape of the leaves, the petals or even the roots.”

Another Reach member N. Madi, who chanced upon what could be a new species, enthuses: “It is so exciting to come across a new species. I'm glad there are so many locals who share a sense of wonder for nature's handiwork. With all that land-clearing going on and wanton destruction of the forests, I hope that in 10 or 20 years' time, the new species we discovered will still be there for others to enjoy.”

“We were particularly excited to find the Galielola javanica which is a leafless orchid. This species was last sighted about a hundred years ago,” says Embi.

Looking at the Reach members, it was heart-warming to know that these are all self-taught locals who have put their skills to doing what they can to help preserve the environment for future generations.

Besides their obvious beauty, orchids are very much a part of the sensitive ecosystem. In view of the lucrative export trade in hybrid orchids, it should be noted that all it takes is a disease to wipe out entire species. And this is where wild orchids come in: they can inject variety and strength into species which have been weakened by too much hybridisation.

Reach vice-president Embi Abdullah pointing to the spot where one of the slipper orchids has been planted together with its companion plant.

Blooming future?

Reach decided to focus on orchids because of the various threats faced by these exotic flowers. Besides the destruction of habitats, the most serious threat is over-collection for commercial purposes.

Ramakrishnan laments the lack of proper enforcement.

“Several nurseries openly advertise wild orchids for sale. It is not easy to tell the difference between a wild orchid and a hybrid, and forestry and Customs officers lack the necessary training,” he concedes.

Right now there is protection for certain species of wild orchids if they are exported. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites), of which Malaysia is a signatory, prohibits trade without permits.

Wild orchids can also be protected under the National Forestry Act 1984 (amended 1993), which makes it an offence to extract items other than timber and non-timber revenue species from forests under the Forestry Department’s jurisdiction. The Wildlife Protection Act 1972 of the Wildlife and National Parks Department also does not allow removal of vegetation from wildlife reserves.

In reality, these Acts are hardly invoked and offenders are seldom caught. Even if they were caught and prosecuted, the paltry fines and light jail terms hardly serve as a deterrent.

“People should stop buying wild orchids. These are not hardy species and it is not easy to take care of them. There are hybrids to cater to their interests,” says Ramakrishan. “The public should report to the Forestry Department or Wildlife and National Parks Department if they know of anyone selling wild orchids.”

Reach has undertaken numerous projects prior to the orchid survey, and more surveys on local flora and fauna are in the pipeline. The society is also planning more educational and outreach programmes to generate environmental awareness.

To do all these, the 450-member organisation needs funding. Unfortunately, a recent grant application to the United Nations Development Fund was turned down.

The group’s efforts have not gone unnoticed, however. Even the Pahang state government and the Minister of Science, Technology and Environment have commended the society for its contributions. Indeed, Reach should be given every support to do what it does best, that is, preserve its own backyard and serve as an example of what a group of individuals can do to help conserve the environment.