Peter Efimov

Conservation of the Orchids native to North-West European Russia (in the limits of Leningrad, Pskov and Novgorod Regions)

Most Orchid species are characteristic for undisturbed plant communities and therefore they are exposed to the danger of extinction under human pressure. Their conservation is an important complex problem. The project itself is intended for the attracting of people's attention to the problem of the extinction of Orchid species within north-west Russia. One of the most important tasks is preparing material for the popular comprehensive book on Orchids of north-west Russia with maps, colour photographs, determination key, relevant information etc. This publication will certainly increase people's interest to the native vegetation and to problems of its conservation, and point people towards ecological thinking'.

Distribution maps would be prepared by the registration of the all corresponding herbarium material, by registration of literature data and by field mapping by our team. All data would be included into a database, which would have also its own scientific importance, being applicable in nature conservation activities. Using these data, the dynamics of the extinction and numerous other tendencies might be calculated.
During field season we will investigate distant districts from where we have no or minimum data on Orchids. Another task for field work is checking numerous old localities of rarest species (Calypso bulbosa, Orchis ustulata, Ophrys insectifera, etc.), which were never traced again.
The attention of Russian community to the conservation problems in general and to our work in particular would be arranged throw meetings, website and internet intercourse with Orchid Society, and also by publications in Orchid Planet' (the only Russian Orchid magazine).

For more information contact efimov81@mail.ru

Project Update: May 2008

This herbarium specimen of rare orchid Ophrys insectifera from new locality deposited in Helsinki University was previously unknown for russian scientists.

During early spring 2008 a database needed for the mapping of Orchids of north-west Russia was almost finally compiled. Data from literature and from Russian herbarium collections had given more than 90% of entries to it. A business trip to Finland in March 2008 was the last step in this work. Before II World War, part of Russia was belonging to Finland, which resulted in numerous materials deposited in the herbarium of Helsinki University, but often neglected in scientific research. As the result, a new locality of very rare orchid Ophrys insectifera from east Leningrad Region was discovered; the nearest locality of this plant in north-west Russia is situated more than 300 km far from it.

The preparations for the field season, which will start in the middle of May, were made. At the meeting of Saint-Petersburg Orchid Society in April, a lection on Orchids native to north-west Russia was held. Visitors were informed about their diversity, reasons of extinction and conservation importance. Recently, this information was presented on the website of our Orchid society (http://www.spolo.ru/orchids_nwr_eng.html)