Protected Areas Are Important for the Conservation of Disa engleriana, an Edible Orchid in Malawi
ABSTRACT Edible orchids are increasingly threatened by unsustainable use in their natural habitats. Several studies highlight the need for propagation to counter this threat. However, a critical gap persists in understanding the environmental conditions that support these species in Malawi. This stu...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71778 |
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| author | Blessings Tionge Chingagwe Gift Gladson Moyo Elizabeth Mwafongo Tiwonge I. Mzumara Jean Cossi Ganglo |
| author_facet | Blessings Tionge Chingagwe Gift Gladson Moyo Elizabeth Mwafongo Tiwonge I. Mzumara Jean Cossi Ganglo |
| author_sort | Blessings Tionge Chingagwe |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Edible orchids are increasingly threatened by unsustainable use in their natural habitats. Several studies highlight the need for propagation to counter this threat. However, a critical gap persists in understanding the environmental conditions that support these species in Malawi. This study aimed to identify potential habitats suitable for propagating edible orchids, focusing on Disa engleriana Kraenzl, 1893, to enhance ex situ conservation efforts. Present and future environmental data were sourced from WorldClim. Species occurrence data were obtained during field surveys and existing datasets. Using MaxEnt, continuous habitat suitability for D. engleriana was modeled based on presence‐only occurrence data, Bioclim variables, and elevation. The integration of ArcGIS allowed for a detailed analysis, reclassifying the continuous suitability map into suitable and unsuitable habitats. The results of the study show that most suitable habitats align with the boundaries of protected areas, emphasizing their critical importance in conservation planning. The study further found that suitable habitats for D. engleriana are typically at altitudes between 1500 and 1600 m, with temperatures not exceeding 15°C during the wettest months. In addition to that, the results revealed the negative impact of climate change on habitat suitability, projecting a decrease in suitable areas over the next 50 years. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-1f4616aa346a458ea52e016c527db729 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-1f4616aa346a458ea52e016c527db7292025-08-20T02:46:16ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582025-07-01157n/an/a10.1002/ece3.71778Protected Areas Are Important for the Conservation of Disa engleriana, an Edible Orchid in MalawiBlessings Tionge Chingagwe0Gift Gladson Moyo1Elizabeth Mwafongo2Tiwonge I. Mzumara3Jean Cossi Ganglo4Earth Sciences Department Malawi University of Science and Technology Limbe MalawiDepartment of Biological Sciences Malawi University of Science and Technology Limbe MalawiNational Herbarium & Botanic Gardens of Malawi Zomba MalawiEarth Sciences Department Malawi University of Science and Technology Limbe MalawiFaculty of Agricultural Sciences University of Abomey‐Calavi Calavi BeninABSTRACT Edible orchids are increasingly threatened by unsustainable use in their natural habitats. Several studies highlight the need for propagation to counter this threat. However, a critical gap persists in understanding the environmental conditions that support these species in Malawi. This study aimed to identify potential habitats suitable for propagating edible orchids, focusing on Disa engleriana Kraenzl, 1893, to enhance ex situ conservation efforts. Present and future environmental data were sourced from WorldClim. Species occurrence data were obtained during field surveys and existing datasets. Using MaxEnt, continuous habitat suitability for D. engleriana was modeled based on presence‐only occurrence data, Bioclim variables, and elevation. The integration of ArcGIS allowed for a detailed analysis, reclassifying the continuous suitability map into suitable and unsuitable habitats. The results of the study show that most suitable habitats align with the boundaries of protected areas, emphasizing their critical importance in conservation planning. The study further found that suitable habitats for D. engleriana are typically at altitudes between 1500 and 1600 m, with temperatures not exceeding 15°C during the wettest months. In addition to that, the results revealed the negative impact of climate change on habitat suitability, projecting a decrease in suitable areas over the next 50 years.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71778Bioclimclimate changeconservationhabitatOrchidoideaepropagation |
| spellingShingle | Blessings Tionge Chingagwe Gift Gladson Moyo Elizabeth Mwafongo Tiwonge I. Mzumara Jean Cossi Ganglo Protected Areas Are Important for the Conservation of Disa engleriana, an Edible Orchid in Malawi Ecology and Evolution Bioclim climate change conservation habitat Orchidoideae propagation |
| title | Protected Areas Are Important for the Conservation of Disa engleriana, an Edible Orchid in Malawi |
| title_full | Protected Areas Are Important for the Conservation of Disa engleriana, an Edible Orchid in Malawi |
| title_fullStr | Protected Areas Are Important for the Conservation of Disa engleriana, an Edible Orchid in Malawi |
| title_full_unstemmed | Protected Areas Are Important for the Conservation of Disa engleriana, an Edible Orchid in Malawi |
| title_short | Protected Areas Are Important for the Conservation of Disa engleriana, an Edible Orchid in Malawi |
| title_sort | protected areas are important for the conservation of disa engleriana an edible orchid in malawi |
| topic | Bioclim climate change conservation habitat Orchidoideae propagation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71778 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT blessingstiongechingagwe protectedareasareimportantfortheconservationofdisaenglerianaanedibleorchidinmalawi AT giftgladsonmoyo protectedareasareimportantfortheconservationofdisaenglerianaanedibleorchidinmalawi AT elizabethmwafongo protectedareasareimportantfortheconservationofdisaenglerianaanedibleorchidinmalawi AT tiwongeimzumara protectedareasareimportantfortheconservationofdisaenglerianaanedibleorchidinmalawi AT jeancossiganglo protectedareasareimportantfortheconservationofdisaenglerianaanedibleorchidinmalawi |