Wild Peruvian Orchids a short hike in San Martin

[gonewild]

A short hike through the Rainforest at 1050 meters altitude. This is the elevation where orchid populations begin to become dense. My intent is to show how the orchids grow in nature continuing to look aat their nutrition source.

 

[gonewild]

 

[gonewild]

 

[gonewild]

 

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[gonewild]

 

[SlipperFan]

Thanks, Lance. I will never have the chance to see orchids in the wild like this. I really appreciate your photos.

 

[NYEric]

Thanks for sharing. that terrestrial w/ the white blooms is great. What was the temp there?

 

[abax]

Perhaps I'm wrong, but it looks like a lot of bird and insect poop for
nutrition. I enjoyed the photos very much. Thank you.

 

[Trithor]

Thank you for the armchair hike. I didn't even get my shoes wet or dirty.
There is a lot more lichen than I thought there would be.

 

[Dido]

great pic many thanks for sharing with us

 

[Stone]

Thanks for the pics Lance. One things for sure--there's no water shortage!

 

[gonewild]

Thanks for sharing. that terrestrial w/ the white blooms is great. What was the temp there?

Day temperature was about 25c nights below 20c. River water temperature was 15c.

 

[gonewild]

Perhaps I'm wrong, but it looks like a lot of bird and insect poop for
nutrition. I enjoyed the photos very much. Thank you.

I think you might be thinking all the white stuff is bird poop, it is not. All the white splashes are lichens. Almost every leaf has lichen growing on it.
Insect poop is probably a huge nutrient source, but consider they are feeding on the moss and lichens and pass on nutrients from them.

This forest has a tremendous amount of bird species but not near enough birds to fertilize all the plants.

 

[gonewild]

There is a lot more lichen than I thought there would be.

More than I thought also. Once I started looking at lichens I still can't find an orchid that does not have them associated. Lichens are much more important to the environment than anything else. They grow on rock and by chemical excretion convert solid rock to topsoil! They are known to secrete over 600 different chemical compounds.....
So it makes "logical" sense that lichens secrete nutrient compounds for orchids. I used to think lichens were a problem for plants because they grow on the plants but now I see the relationship as a perfect symbiosis.

 

[NYEric]

Thanks for the info. Are there lot of leeches? BTW, I see where this is going!! :wink:

 

[gonewild]

Thanks for the pics Lance. One things for sure--there's no water shortage!

And it is the dry season!

 

[gonewild]

Thanks for the info. Are there lot of leeches? BTW, I see where this is going!! :wink:

I have never seen a leach here in 15 years!
No malaria either.... oke:

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

Neat Lance, thanks for the tour. I agree about lichens being integral to orchid nutrition/well being. Every epiphytic orchid or fern I've seen growing here (or Florida) had lichens associated with it - even twig epiphytes. Moss as well provides a good growing medium and of course retains water while maintaining an "airy" texture to the substrate - perfect for many epiphytes.

I have never seen a leach here in 15 years!
No malaria either.... oke:

And who knows what fun things lurk on the streets of NYC... :rollhappy:

 

[TyroneGenade]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I was under the impression that lichen can fix atmospheric nitrogen?