Biodiv Sci ›› 2013, Vol. 21 ›› Issue (1): 132-135.  DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1003.2013.04139

• Orginal Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Using guided commercialized cultivation models to promote species conservation and sustainable utilization: an example from the Chinese medicinal orchids

Hong Liu1,2,3, Yibo Luo4,5, Zhongjian Liu5,6,7,*()   

  1. 1 Department of Earth and Environment, Florida International University, Miami 33199,USA
    2 State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources (Guangxi University), Nanning 530004, China
    3 Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami 33156, USA
    4 State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
    5 Shenzhen Key Laboratory for Orchid Conservation and Utilization, The Orchid Conservation & Research Center of Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518114, China
    6 The Center for Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Graduate School at Shenzhen, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
    7 College of Forestry, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510640, China;
  • Received:2012-07-06 Accepted:2012-12-07 Online:2013-01-20 Published:2013-02-04
  • Contact: Liu Zhongjian

Abstract:

Achieving the balance between economic development and biodiversity conservation has become increasingly difficult. Here we propose a conservation model for medicinal orchids using Dendrobium catenatum as an example. Specifically we suggest establishment of production and advance processing facilities in the developed regions, and using organization systems involving companies working with forestry farms, and forestry farms in turn working with farmers who cultivate the orchids. In addition, we promoted cultivation of these orchids in natural environments in the Karst and Danxia economically poor regions, for the purpose of restoration and/or augmentation of wild populations while promoting sustainable harvest of their populations. Such profit generating species restoration will increase incentives for habitat protection. This conservation model for an endangered species is different from those developed in the West, but is better suited to the situation in China.

Key words: Orchidaceae, Dendrobium catenatum, orchid conservation, biodiversity protection, sustainable development