Illegal harvesting and livestock grazing threaten the endangered orchid Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soó in Nepalese Himalaya

Abstract

Harvesting of orchids for medicine and salep production is a traditional practice, and increasing market demand is spurring illegal harvest. Ethno‐ecological studies in combination with the effect of anthropogenic disturbance are lacking for orchids. We compared population density and structure, and tuber biomass of Dactylorhiza hatagirea (D. Don) Soó for three years in two sites: Manang, where harvesting of medicinal plants was locally regulated (protected), and Darchula, where harvesting was locally unregulated (unprotected). Six populations were studied along an elevation gradient by establishing 144 temporary plots (3 × 3 m 2 ) from 3,400 to 4,600 m elevations. Mean density of D. hatagirea was significantly higher in the locally protected (1.31 ± 0.17 plants/m 2 ) than in the unprotected (0.72 ± 0.06 plants/m 2 ) site. The protected site showed stable population density with high reproductive fitness and tuber biomass over the three‐year period. A significant negative effect ( p < .1) of relative radiation index (RRI) on the density of the adult vegetative stage and a positive effect of herb cover on juvenile and adult vegetative stages were found using mixed zero‐inflated Poisson (mixed ZIP) models. The densities of different life stages were highly sensitive to harvesting and livestock grazing. Significant interactions between site and harvesting and grazing indicated particularly strong negative effects of these disturbances on densities of juvenile and adult reproductive stages in the unprotected site. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with informants ( n = 186) in the villages and at the ecological survey sites. Our interview results showed that at the protected site people are aware of the conservation status and maintain sustainable populations, whereas the opposite was the case at the unprotected site where the populations are threatened. Sustainability of D. hatagirea populations, therefore, largely depends on controlling illegal and premature harvesting and unregulated livestock grazing, thus indicating the need for permanent monitoring of the species.

Richness and distribution of endangered orchid species under different climate scenarios on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

“…In this study, we explored the influences of climate change, topographical factors, and soil variables on the endangered orchid species on the QTP. We found that aspect, annual precipitation, elevation, topsoil pH (H 2 O), mean temperature of the driest quarter, and topsoil sand fraction had a large influence on the distribution of endangered orchid species on the QTP, which was in accordance with the findings of previous studies ( Chapagain et al, 2021 ).…”

Life barcoded by DNA barcodes

“…International conventions such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) have categorized more than 35,000 species as threatened by extinction (Wyatt 2020 ). And DNA barcodes have been demonstrated to be helpful to monitor illegal collection and trade of protected species and their products when morphological characters were equivocal (Chapagain et al 2021 ). Additionally, the risks of pandemic spillover are higher than ever with increasingly intimate associations between humans and wildlife (or their meat), some of which might serve as hosts or vectors for medically important pathogens.…”

Traditional socio-cultural utilization and harvesting practices of an alpine medicinal herb, Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora in Khumbu Valley, Nepal

“…In such situations where younger generation is reluctant to peruse traditional practices, preservation of traditional knowledge and effective methods for knowledge transfer within the society, along with resource protection, become essential. Medicinal and aromatic plants growing at higher elevations are sensitive to harvest (Chapagain et al 2019(Chapagain et al , 2020Ghimire et al 2008b;Poudeyal et al 2019), and overharvesting poses a significant threat to the population of many such species in Nepal (Chapagain et al 2021, Ghimire & Nepal 2007, Ghimire et al 2005. In Khumbu Valley, harvesting of very small amount of Neopicrorhiza strictly for local use probably may not pose great threat.…”