University of Guam’s Center for Island Sustainability team rescues endangered orchids

The University of Guam Center for Island Sustainability and Sea Grant’s Natural Resources team recently rescued threatened species of native orchid left vulnerable.

Decaying old trees are a natural and essential part of a forest’s life cycle. As trees age, they become more fragile and eventually fall. 

This process creates open space in the forest allowing new seedlings to thrive. In some cases, these trees are hosts to rare and threatened orchids.

The UOG CIS & SG Natural Resources team from the UOG CIS Island Conservation Lab recently hiked into the jungles of Guam and retrieved over 12 clusters of native orchid species.

Dendrobium guamense, Bulbophyllum guamense, and Coelogyne guamensis are epiphytic orchids, meaning they grow on other plants for support, in this case the yoga tree. 

Dendrobium guamense and Bulbophyllum guamense are only found naturally in Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas, while Coelogyne guamensis is also found in Palau.

“It is important to preserve the genetic diversity of each orchid population, especially because they are threatened with extinction,” said Else Demeulenaere Ph.D., Associate Director for Natural Resources at UOG CIS & SG.

The rescued orchids will be cared for at the UOG CIS & SG rare plant nursery, where they will receive the necessary treatment to thrive before being reintroduced to a suitable habitat.

“After the orchids recover in the nursery, they will be returned to the forest on new host trees,” said Vince Fabian, Program Manager at UOG CIS & SG Natural Resources division. 

“We will tag them so we can track their origins and monitor their health in the future. These reintroductions also give us the opportunity to observe reproductive activity to see if these salvaged orchids are increasing in numbers after transplanting,” said Fabian. 

Following their recovery, the public may also be able to assist with the care of these orchids through the Táiparehu Program the group will be launching soon.