By: Zain B. Akar
Banjarmasin. The Paphiopedilum supardii, or Supard’s slipper orchid, is an orchid species endemic to Kalimantan. Its distribution is currently known from a single location. A decade ago, the IUCN classified this species as Critically Endangered (CR) due to habitat loss from deforestation and over-collection for the ornamental plant trade. In recent years, Zain and his team at the Yayasan Tumbuhan Asli Nusantara have documented the illegal trade of this species on Facebook. Their findings were alarming: hundreds to thousands of P. supardii orchids are illegally traded annually, domestically and internationally.
Unfortunately, limited information about the species’ distribution means that population data is restricted to its type locality. No additional information has been gathered since its initial description. In mid-May 2024, Zain secured a grant from the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund to search for the last remaining population of P. supardii in Kalimantan. Leveraging herbarium records and illegal trade mapping data, Zain and his team selected three potential sites within the Meratus Mountains landscape of South Kalimantan.
The Meratus Mountains, the oldest ophiolite range and one of the most isolated mountain ranges in Kalimantan, extend across East Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, and South Kalimantan, where its highest peak is located. As a lithophytic orchid, P. supardii thrives exclusively on limestone or karst formations, a habitat type prevalent in the eastern part of the Meratus range. In June 2024, the team conducted a survey and successfully discovered three sub-populations outside the type locality, two representing new records for the species within the Meratus Mountain Range.
As a species closely tied to karst habitats, P. supardii is highly threatened by habitat loss. Widespread quarrying of limestone hills and mountains, coupled with global demand for rare and beautiful orchids, exacerbates the species’ precarious conservation status. The discovery of these new subpopulations will be invaluable for updating the species distribution range and reassessing its conservation status. Furthermore, the collected data will aid various stakeholders in developing effective conservation strategies for this endemic Meratus Mountains orchid.