Introduced to the orchids of the Swan Coastal Plain in Perth, Western Australia by his father, Nigel Swarts developed a keen interest in the Orchidaceae. The re-discovery of a threatened spider orchid in bushland close to his childhood home paved the way for a future in orchid conservation research. Nigel received his undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology at Curtin University. He then completed his Ph.D. with distinction on the conservation of critically endangered orchids at the University of Western Australia. Nigel's research has led to a better understanding of the role of mycorrhizal specialization in the ecology and rarity of the Orchidaceae. His work has contributed to the development of new approaches to the conservation and recovery of terrestrial orchids based on key biological and ecological requirements for orchid survival. During his first post-doc, Nigel embarked on an ambitious project to conserve all of Western Australia's terrestrial orchid seed and fungi in perpetuity. Nigel managed the orchid research programs of the Kings Park Botanic Gardens, supervised students, and trained teams of volunteers in the ex situ culture and propagation of Western Australian orchids using many of the techniques described in this book. In 2009, Nigel moved to Tasmania and established a similar orchid conservation and research program at the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens focusing on Tasmanian endemic species. He runs an ex situ conservation program where volunteers are trained in orchid conservation and propagation methods. He authored the multi-species recovery plan for all Tasmania's threatened orchid species and continues his research into the mycorrhizal relationships of Australian terrestrial orchids on a part-time basis. Nigel is currently a Research Fellow at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture at the University of Tasmania. In addition to his research, Nigel supervises graduate students in topics ranging from tree physiology to cider production and terrestrial orchid ecology. Nigel is also an active member of the Tasmanian Threatened Species Committee.Kingsley Dixon is the Curtin University Professor at Kings Park and Botanic Garden in Perth, Western Australia. He is one of Australia's leading botanists who found his passion for orchids as a small child and would often collect them with his parents on bush walks. His professional and scientific interests in orchids developed while obtaining his Ph.D. at The University of Western Australia when he worked on the ecology of native southwest Australian orchids. Later, he expanded this into propagation, mycorrhizal, pollination, and conservation research when he established the world-acclaimed Kings Park Botanical Research Facility in the State Botanic Garden in Western Australia.Since then, Kings Park has produced more than 60 Ph.D.'s in botany and the biological sciences, and is home to an internationally recognized orchid research group that has made many major advances including the development of novel tissue culture procedures for rare orchids and the first cryo-banking methodology for rare orchid seed.Kingsley was hired by Curtin University in 2015 and continues to lead major conservation and restoration programs that include orchid biology, ecology, and conservation research.Kingsley has developed extensive research collaborations in conservation and restoration science in China, Southeast Asia, Europe, and the Americas. This has included programs to save rare and threatened slipper orchids in Indonesia and developing conservation propagation of European rare terrestrial orchids. Through these partnerships, he has developed a global network of orchid researchers and collaborators that includes significant input from citizen science programs from local to international orchid groups, including the Hardy Orchid Society of the United Kingdom.

This is a fascinating book filled with cogent information aimed at making orchid conservation technology accessible to all interested people (not just scientists)."" - Leon Glicenstein, Book Review in Orchids, the Bulletin of the American Orchid society""The outstanding features of the book include high quality photographs and illustrations. There are concise outlines of methods and techniques involving a wide range of species. There is also an easy readability and understandable approach that conveys the enthusiasm and experience of the authors."" - Peter B. Adams, Book Review in the Orchadian, the Journal of the Australasian Native Orchid Society""Conservation Methods for Terrestrial Orchids is an ambitious book that sets out to demystify the many facets of orchid science in an accessible manner. It succeeds superbly."" - Tom McCarter, Book Review in the Botanic Gardener, the magazine for botanic garden professionals.""The ability to put this book together so that the information is informative as well as readable is astounding."" - Coralie Hills, Editor of Orchids Australia, the official publication of the Australian Orchid Council, Inc.

• Chapter 1: Introduction to Orchid ConservationWhy Are Orchids Rare?What this Book Means to Orchid ConservationChapter OutlinesEpilogue on the Future of Orchid ConservationChapter 2: In Situ Monitoring, Demographics, and Conservation Instruments2.1 Background2.2 Monitoring Methods2.2.1 Permanent Pegs2.2.2 Transect Method2.2.3 Plot Method2.2.4 Mapping and Recording Orchid RecruitmentCase Study 2.12.3 Essential Parameters in Demographic StudiesCase Study 2.2Case Study 2.32.4 Photo Points as Tools in MonitoringCase Study 2.42.5 Recovery Plans for Terrestrial Orchids2.6 International Conservation Instruments2.6.1 How the Red Listing Process WorksChapter 3: Orchid Mycorrhizal Associations3.1 Background3.2 Orchid Mycorrhizal Dependency and NutritionCase Study 3.13.3 Identity and SpecificityCase Study 3.23.4 Achlorophyllous Orchids3.5 Orchid Mycorrhizal Methods3.6 Fungal Culture Isolations3.6.1 Plant Material CollectionProcedure 3.13.6.2 Surface Sterilization3.6.3 Isolation of PelotonsProcedure 3.23.7 Mycorrhizal Culture Growth and StorageProcedure 3.33.8 Media for Fungal CultureProcedure 3.4Procedure 3.5Procedure 3.6Procedure 3.7Procedure 3.8Procedure 3.9Chapter 4: Orchid Seed Germination Techniques4.1 Background4.2 Mycorrhizal Fungi for Seed Germination of Terrestrial Orchids4.3 Properties of Orchid Seeds4.4 Hand Pollination for Seed Production4.5 Seed CollectionProcedure 4.14.6 Sowing Mature SeedCase Study 4.14.6.1 Seed Viability StainingProcedure 4.2Case Study 4.24.6.2 SterilantsCase Study 4.34.6.3 Stages of Seed Germination4.6.4 Seed sowing—Packet MethodProcedure 4.34.6.5 Seed Sowing—Syringe MethodProcedure 4.44.6.6 Seed Sowing—Direct SterilizationProcedure 4.54.7 Sowing Techniques for Immature SeedProcedure 4.6Case Study 4.4Chapter 5: Assessing Mycorrhiza in Soil5.1 Background5.2 Mycorrhizal Specificity in Soil5.3 Recruitment Limitation5.4 Distribution of Mycorrhiza in Soils5.5 Niche Exploitation and Competition5.6 In Situ Seed Baiting Methods5.6.1 The Slide Frame Baiting MethodProcedure 5.1Case Study 5.15.6.2 Nylon Mesh In Situ Seed BaitingProcedure 5.25.6.3 Seed baiting for epiphytic orchidsCase Study 5.25.6.4 Seed Germination in Retrieved SoilProcedure 5.3Chapter 6: Orchid Culture for Conservation6.1 Background6.2 Symbiotic Orchid Propagation6.3 Seedling DevelopmentCase Study 6.16.4 Transfer to Soil Mix6.4.1 Sand/Vermiculite over Agar Growth ContainersProcedure 6.16.5 Pot cultivation6.5.1 Requirements for Growing Terrestrial OrchidsCase Study 6.26.5.2 Potting Mixes6.5.3 Pasteurizing Potting Mixes6.5.4 Growing Conditions6.5.5 Disease and Pest Control6.5.6 Repotting of Terrestrial OrchidsProcedure 6.26.6 Direct Seeding6.6.1 Inoculating Potting MixProcedure 6.36.6.2 Mature PlantsChapter 7: Herbaceous Terrestrial Orchid Translocation7.1 Background7.2 Requirements for Successful Orchid Translocation7.3 Propagation for TranslocationCase Study 7.17.4 Assisted Migration7.5 Framework for Translocation Projects7.6 Restoring Habitats Suitable for OrchidsCase Study 7.27.7 Methods for Terrestrial Orchid Translocation7.7.1 Out-planting Juvenile Herbaceous Terrestrial OrchidsCase Study 7.37.7.2 Out-planting by Tuber/Rhizome Transfer7.7.3 In Situ Seed SowingCase Study 7.47.7.4 Transplanting Mature Wild Plants7.8 Pre- and Post-translocation Surveying and MonitoringCase Study 7.5Chapter 8: Orchid Pollination8.1 Background8.2 Pollinator Limitation8.2.1 Testing for Pollination Limitation8.2.2 Resource Limitation8.3 Pollination Strategies8.3.1 Pollination by Reward (Food Advertisement)8.3.2 Pollination by Deception8.3.3 Food DeceptionCase Study 8.18.3.4 Sexual DeceptionCase Study 8.28.4 Pollinator Inferences in Conservation Planning8.5 Pollinator ChemistryChapter 9: Genetic Techniques in Orchid Conservation9.1 Background9.2 Population Genetics9.2.1 Principal Population Genetic Markers for Conservation9.3 Molecular Phylogenetics/SystematicsCase Study 9.1Case Study 9.29.4 Quantitative Genetics9.5 Mycorrhizal Specificity in Orchid Populations9.6 Considerations in Undertaking a Conservation Genetics Study9.7 Scoring Molecular Data9.8 Analysis of DataCase Study 9.39.9 Technical Notes: DNA ExtractionProcedure 9.1Procedure 9.29.9.1 DNA Extraction of Mycorrhizal FungiChapter 10: Storage of Orchid Seed and Mycorrhiza10.1 Background10.2 Securing Collections of High Conservation Value10.3 Seed Quality10.4 Orchid SeedbankingCase Study 10.110.5 Vouchering Specimens10.6 Genetic Considerations in Seed Collection Programs10.7 Living Collections as an Ex Situ Conservation ToolProcedure 10.110.8 Long-term Storage of Orchid-mycorrhizal FungiCase Study 10.2Procedure 10.210.9 Alginate Encapsulation of Orchid Seed and FungusProcedure 10.3Chapter 11: References