"30 new species of orchid ... discovered... in previously unexplored tropical rainforests in the Papua New Guinea.
The species were uncovered in the Kikori region during a series of expeditions organised by the WWF as part of its efforts to catalogue the floral diversity of the area. "The island of New Guinea is a goldmine of orchids," said Wayne Harris, a botanist from Queensland Herbarium and one of the world's leading authorities on the subject. "There are more than 3,000 known species found here. The expeditions have added significantly to the known floral diversity. Papua New Guinea already has more recorded orchid species than any other country in the world." [more than Ecuador or Colombia ???] ... Olo Gebia, an ecologist for WWF, said: "Around 70 species of orchid that used to exist in the forests of neighbouring Indonesia have become extinct because of illegal logging,.." ... Kikori, which includes Lake Kutubu, is internationally recognised for the diversity of its plant life and has been the focus of several zoological expeditions by the wildlife organisation since 1998. ... The announcement comes just a week before the official launch of two new wildlife management areas in the region. They will help to protect the tropical rainforest areas where the orchids were discovered" Article URL : http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2405570,00.html ***************** "conservationists have made a discovery... up to 28 new species of the flower. Eight of them are already confirmed as brand new plants that have never been seen before. Among them is a stunning orchid with a delicate star-shaped flower and another that has bright white petals dabbed with vivid fuschia. The team have also recently found another 20 orchids in the same area and are now busy trying to verify whether these too are newly-discovered species. Conservationists... are... appealing for renewed efforts to protect the Kikori region where the orchids were found to ensure these flowers... are not destroyed. The flowers mark the culmination of a long-term study by the WWF charity going back as far as 1998 of tropical rainforest in the country. Papua New Guinea occupies the eastern half of the tropical island of New Guinea - the other half belonging to Indonesia... ... The WWF is working to help conserve the Kikori region... Two new Wildlife Management Areas, protecting significant areas of rainforest, are due to be announced in a week's time to help extend the amount of protected land in the country" article URL : http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23370896-details/New+Orchid+species+discovered+in+rain+forest/article.do see photos : http://img.dailymail.co.uk//i/pix/2006/10/orchid2_228x773.jpg ************ Regards, VB _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) orchids@orchidguide.com http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
