Ecology of Native Orchids and their Pollinators

The ecology of native orchids and their pollinators is the subject of Dick Wettenhall’s new book, Ecology of Native Orchids and Their Pollinators. The book is based on extensive field investigations carried out over several seasons. The investigations have revealed the complex functions, adaptations and associated biodiversification of orchid ecosystems in a single nature, which is located in a coastal region with a diverse range of topographical features, vegetation zones and associated microenvironments. The focus has been on the behaviour of the pollinators, their adaptations to different microenvironments, and their struggle for survival in miniature worlds where they co-exist with friend and foe insects and spiders. The book includes over 1200 photographs which describe the ecosystems of over 40 species of orchids. Also included are general chapters on the forest habitats investigated; when and where to find the orchids and their pollinators; cross-pollination of orchids; and environmental threats.

The author is a former biomedical research scientist and he uses knowledge of orchid ecosystems as a basis for developing an understanding of the importance of miniature life in delicately-balanced remnant forest habitats. He has spent many hours sitting beside individual clusters of orchids documenting the interactions between orchids, pollinators and other miniature creatures in their habitats. The extraordinarily detailed images of these creatures and their patterns of behaviour obtained by macrophotography have, collectively, provided a dynamic view of how remnant forest habitats function and adapt to different environments.