Protecting Orchids in Nature Reserves: Research and Restoration Needs

Will installment of a few fences and rangers be sufficient to secure the rich orchid floral in an economically challenged area under the current rapidly changing environments? What are the research and restoration needs? We convened the Guangxi International Orchid Conservation Symposium in May 2009 in Leye county, a remote, rural area in southwestern China that is rich in orchids, to address these questions. Symposium participants examined orchid conservation issues from various angles, as reflected in this volume. Although the biological factors in orchid conservation were emphasized, social factors (i.e. protected area - people relations) were also presented here. These reviews and analyses will inform conservation workers in China as well as around the world.