Burma’s Vanishing Orchids

By VIOLET CHO

PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN, Thailand — The orchid market at Dan Singkhon in southern Thailand attracts thousands of enthusiasts, who don’t seem to be worried that their love for these exotic plants is threatening many species with extinction.

Many of the threatened orchids come from the forests of nearby Burma, imported at small cost with the cooperation of Burmese and Thai border officials.

The Dan Singkhon market has been attracting collectors of orchids and other wild plants for more than a decade. The football field-size market takes place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Thai customs authorities at the nearby Burmese border charge an average of 10 baht (30 US Cents) per imported plant, which can range from a simple orchid to an example of the world’s oldest species. No official checks are made of the imported plants, many of which are on lists of protected and endangered species.

One international expert, Jeffrey Wood, curator of the orchid herbarium of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew, in Britain, examined photographs of the plants on sale at the Dan Singkhon market and said: “It's quite upsetting to see such a large variety of species being stripped off the trees in Burma. A lot of these species wouldn't survive, since they come from the mountains. It is very damaging to the local orchid flora.

“It’s like the days back in the late 19th century when nurseries used to send out collectors and they used to strip an area bare. The same thing’s happening in the remoter parts of Burma.”

Another expert, J F Maxwell, curator of the Chiang Mai University Herbarium, said many of the imported plants failed to survive when removed from their natural habitat.

“Plants have been around longer than people, so the idea of people killing everything is revolting, especially if it is based on greed and stupidity,” said Maxwell, who joined Wood in identifying the flora on sale at the Dan Singkhon market, using photo documentation.

Burma and Thailand are signatories to the Convention on the Elimination of Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which bans or restricts trading in all wild orchid species. Burma signed CITES in 1997 and management of the treaty is under the country’s Ministry of Forestry. Thailand signed in 1983.

The majority of the wild orchids on sale in the Dan Singkhon market are listed in either appendix 1 or 2 of CITES. Appendix 1 species are endangered with extinction and trade is virtually prohibited. Species listed in appendix 2 species are judged to be also under threat and trade is highly regulated.

Among orchids listed in appendix 1 are those of the orchid genus paphiopedilum, which experts say could become extinct in Burma unless trade in the plants is stopped. Fifty Burmese species of the dendrobium genus are also listed by CITES as endangered—an indication of the great variety of orchids to be found in Burma’s forests.

Experts point out that these orchids come from very delicate ecosystems and are unlikely to survive when replanted.

“Most die during their first dry season,” said Maxwell. “Almost all ground orchids die probably because of microrhiza dysfunction. They simply can't cope away from their native niche, the epiphytic ones may linger around for longer, but most do not survive. Those who purchase wild plants are not aware of this and the merchants don't care.”

Many merchants make fraudulent claims about the plants they are selling, often identifying them with false names and photos. Dormant, unflowering plants are also difficult to identify correctly.

Apart from orchids, many other threatened varieties are on sale at the Dan Singkhon market, including cycads, which are among the oldest plants on earth and were common during the time of the dinosaurs more than 200 million years ago. Cycads reproduce very slowly, so their removal from Burmese forests could lead to their extinction, Maxwell warned.

“Cycads are ancient plants,” Maxwell said. “They are relicts of former floras and some are still able to hang on in the wild. They usually survive cultivation, but often have trouble reproducing.”

The cycads being sold at the market range from 80 to 120 years old and sell for a minimum of 100 baht.

Examples of rafflesia, the world’s largest flower, can be found at the market, yet purchasers of rafflesia buds stand no chance of seeing their plants thrive, say the experts.Rafflesia are parasitic and able to survive only on a specific host vine. Replanted, they have no chance of surviving.

Todd Barkman, a professor of Biological Sciences at Western Michigan University in the US, said: “The populations of these plants are usually naturally quite small and over-collecting could easily lead to local extinction. These species often live in tropical habitat that is often converted to cultivation, making the overall amount of habitat for these species less. So, unless the populations are protected against over-harvesting, they likely have a dim future.”

Rafflesias are not officially documented, adding to the threat they face from being removed from their natural habitat and transported to Thailand.

Most of the merchants at Dan Singkhon are Burmese nationals from Mot Tow village, Tennaserim Division, whose livelihood depends on the trade in endangered plants.

Ma Khaing, who has been selling orchids at the market for more than a year said she earns at least 200 baht ($6) per day. She and other traders know they’re dealing in rare plants but argue that they need the money because of the harsh economic conditions in Burma.

A migrant Burmese laborer said the orchids that grew around his village were disappearing rapidly and traders had to penetrate ever deeper into the forest to find them.