Demographic Studies and Life-history Strategies of Temperate Terrestrial Orcidds as a Basis for Conservation

Terrestrial orchids represent a wide diversity of species that are characterised by an equally diverse range of life history attributes. Threatened and endangered species of terrestrial orchids have been identif ed on all continents where they occur and conservation plans have been developed for some species. Even though there is a considerable amount of information on the ecology of terrestrial orchids, few species have been studied in detail and most management plans focus on habitat conservation. In this paper, we consider the diversity of terrestrial orchids and summarise information on threatened and endangered species from a global perspective. We also describe approaches to the conservation and restoration of terrestrial orchids and develop the argument that much information is needed if we are to successfully conserve this diverse group of plant species.