Mycorrhizal communities associated with orchids of the subgenus Meleagris in the department of Antioquia, Colombia

Six of the twelve species of the subgenus Meleagris in Masdevallia have an exclusive distribution in the department of Antioquia: M. anisomorpha, M. segurae, M. fasciata, M. heteroptera, M. hortensis and M. parvula. According to the Red Book of Plants of Colombia, M. anisomorpha, M. segurae and M. fasciata are in danger (EN), M. heteroptera and M. hortensis are in a vulnerable state (VU), and M. parvula does not have enough data to classify it in any risk category according to the criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature -IUCN- (Calderón, 2007). That is why, due to their very restricted distributions, the fact that they are threatened, and that some are difficult to cultivate (M. hortensis and M. Segurae), a review of the conservation of these species is necessary.

Mycorrhizae are mutualistic associations necessary for the germination of orchid seeds, a critical process for their establishment. Simply put, orchids depend on mycorrhizal fungi to complete their life cycle, at least during the early stages of development. That is why mycorrhizae are an ecological factor that affects the geographic distribution and abundance of orchids, and even has an important role in the partition of niches. A precise understanding of the different communities of mycorrhizal fungi of the different species of orchids and regions is important for a good development of different strategies of conservation and in vitro culture.

Here we want to evaluate the structure of the mycorrhizal communities in the roots of five closely related species of the subgenus Meleagris in Antioquia and to compare whether these patterns are limited by geography and / or phylogeny.

Phylogeography and genetic diversity for conservation of subgenera Meleagris, Masdevallia

The genus Masdevallia belongs to the Pleurothallidinae neotropical sub-tribe, with approximately 12% of the sub-tribe species, which gathers about 5000 total estimated spp, possibly being the most diverse of the Orchidaceae family. Masdevallia is distributed in regions with a wide climatic range in Central and South America², and currently 500 to 600 species are estimated. The subgenus Meleagris has 12 species distributed between Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela, in addition to presenting records in Costa Rica, Panama and Guyana. They generally have an epiphytic habit in humid forests and have been recorded at altitudes from 1250 to 3000 m.a.s.l., these characteristics favor variation, and in particular the opportunity to study their evolutionary relationships based on morphological characters. Given its distribution, it allows us to infer that all species share a common ancestor that possibly existed in the area of greatest diversity, the north of the Andes. Hence it is possible that speciation was allopatric given the rugged orography.

We will reconstruct the evolutionary history of Meleagris for: (1) An evaluation of the genetic diversity present in at least three natural populations and private collections of species in the subgenera Meleagris allows to estimate (a) the best breeding program that boots outcrossing and genetic diversity, (b) the effective size of populations needed to reintroduce species in the field maintaining genetic diversity as a raw material for adaptation and resilience, (c) the cross-pollination strategies among populations within the first six months of the project. (2) Understand its origin and relationships among species.

Pilar Camero

Undergraduate student Universidad de la Amazonia

Florencia Colombia

Working with me since 2020

email: pilicamero05@gmail.com

REPRODUCTIVE ASPECTS AND IN VITRO GERMINATION OF ORCHIDS FROM THE ANDEAN-AMAZONIAN FOOT REGION WITH ORNAMENTAL VALUE AND FOR CONSERVATION

Orchids have been admired for their beauty for many years, additionally they fulfill very important biological and ecological functions within the ecosystems that they inhabit and that benefit society, one of these benefits is economic, since orchids are part of ornamental groups. with greater demand in the floricultural environment. The genera with the highest demand are Cymbidium, Cattleya and Phalaenopsis (Sánchez, 2018).

Colombia has a great diversity of orchids throughout the entire territory, but it has been observed that this wealth is not used (Sánchez, 2018). That is why an alternative must be proposed in which an economic sustenance is generated and also that can conserve and restore those areas that have been intervened. According to Pedraza-Santos (2017), in vitro culture is used, with the aim of improving seed germination and increasing and extending the population of native orchid species. Since it allows to develop a strategy of massive propagation of plants, free of pathogens and at low production costs.

This technique promotes the sustainable use of orchids by using their seeds to obtain thousands of plants that can be commercialized or reintroduced in protected areas. The sustainable use of orchids for sustainability purposes is one of the strategies that are part of the plan for the study and conservation of orchids of Colombia (2015). Additionally, conservation and sustainable use must be accompanied by strategies that promote education and environmental awareness, since the goal of conservation is not only to identify and protect orchids and their habitats, but to discover, develop and support the capacity to use and sustainably manage natural resources.

Here we are monitoring the reproductive aspects of orchids including the germination of seeds with ornamental value present in the Manantial community orchid garden, Florencia-Caquetá for the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.

Sebastian Reyes

Undergraduate student Universidad de Caldas

Manizales, Colombia

Working with me since 2019

email: sebastian.1711625161@ucaldas.edu.co

Phylogenomics and biogeography of Lepanthes (Pleurothallidinae: Orquidaceae): a model genus to understand the evolution of Andean orchids

Species of Lepanthes (Orchidaceae, tribe Epidendreae) belong to one of the most diverse plant families: Orchidaceae, with approximately 26,000 species currently described. This genus is distributed from México to Bolivia and Brazil, and is also present in the Antilles and Cuba. Highest diversity of Lepanthes is found in the Andean region of Colombia and Ecuador with more than 300 species in each country. In general terms, this high diversity may be explained, among others, by the connection between three main hotspots worldwide (Mesoamerica, Choco/Darien/Western Ecuador and tropical Andes). But detailed molecular information is needed to understand Lepanthes evolutionary history, which will lead to better understanding of species diversification ultimately generating more informed conservation strategies. he main goal of the proposed research is to reconstruct the evolutionary history of Lepanthes to use it as a framework for a new taxonomical classification. Additionally, we want to understand biogeographic patterns that could explain their high diversification and endemism in the Colombian Andes.

Former member of my lab now:

Working as a Botany Lab Teacher at EAFIT, Medellin, Colombia

Alejandra Serna

B.S. Biologist Universidad EAFIT

Worked with me 2016-2020

email: alejaserna123@gmail.com

Publications

Serna-Sánchez, M. A., Pérez-Escobar, O. A. , Bogarín D. , Torres M.F., Alvarez-Yela A. C., Arcila J. E Hall C. F., de Barros F., Pinheiro F., Dodsworth S., Chase M. W, Antonelli A., Arias T. 2021. Plastid phylogenomics resolves ambiguous relationships within the orchid family and provides a solid timeframe for biogeography and macroevolution. Scientific Reports 11:6858. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-83664-5

Serna, A., J. Arcila, T. Arias. 2018. ¿Por qué estudiar las orquídeas desde la biología molecular? Tres casos que le interesarían a cualquier orquideólogo. Orquideologia. 35 (1): 120-133.

Phylogenomics of Cymbidieae (Orchidaceae): Solving phylogenetic ambiguities

The tribe Cymbidieae has fascinated botanists and naturalists, due to certain specialties in pollination syndromes and sexual systems within some lineages. This tribe comprises over 3,700 species of which 90% occur in the Neotropics and the remaining species occur in tropical Africa and Australasia (Pérez-Escobar et al., 2017). Some relationships among Cymbidieae are still unresolved and some subtribes are without representation. Our research aims to solve some problematic relationships within Cymbidieae subtribes: Stanhopeinae, Maxillariinae Zygopetalinae, Eulophiinae, Catasetinae and Cyrtopodiinae, and add new taxa that have not been included in Orchidaceae using chloroplasts recovered through Genome Survey Sequencing.