Another project I am working on is surveying established populations of rare orchids at Catoctin National Park in Thurmont, MD.  Let me do some introductions.

Coeloglossum viride – Long Bracted Orchid (LBO)

The Long Bracted Orchid (Coeloglossum viride) was the first orchid for which I surveyed.  LBO is threatened or endangered in 8 states, including Maryland, and the population that we have here at Catoctin Mountain Park is the largest population in the state! LBO may not be the most charismatic orchid, but it certainly does have some strange habits.  This orchid has been surveyed since the early 1980s and has seen a significant amount of decline, most likely due to deer browsing.  What is interesting about LBO is that since a deer management plan has been implemented in the park, the population has been steadily increasing, but only in one specific area.  The only place that LBO has been found in the park is on the outer edge of a campground parking lot and along an adjacent horse trail.   The LBO thrives in the disturbed edge habitat that the parking-lot and horse trail provides!

Another orchid I have been working with this season is called the Purple Fringed Orchid.

Greater Purple Fringed Orchid

The Greater Purple Fringed Orchid (Platanthera grandiflora) is found in moist habitats and has a strong associated with skunk cabbage.  PFO has been surveyed since the later 1970s and has also seen a sharp decline likely due to the over population of deer in the park.  Measures have been taken to protect the orchid and the recent implementation of the deer management plan has also done good things for the populations of the Purple Fringed Orchid in Catoctin Mountain Park.

Platanthera grandiflora

I was able to get together a team of other interns and seasonal rangers to help me survey some swampy stream areas and we were able to find a total of 50 individuals!  We took GPS points and data on numbers of flowers and buds and were able to compare it to the previous years of data.  It is interesting seeing how the population ebbs and flows as the years go by.

The last orchid I ran into this summer is called the Large Round Leafed Orchid (Platanthera orbiculata).  While surveying for the Long Bracted Orchid along a horse trail I stumbled upon a strange looking orchid-like leaf with a stalk full of buds.  Back at the office I told the biologist about it and she directed me to a paper published in 2014 that documented a long-term study of the orchid populations in the area.  (http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10531-014-0698-2)  After reading the paper and doing some research on the orchids listed in the paper I was able to get a good idea of which orchid I had found….

Platanthera orbiculata – Large Round Leaf Orchid

Platanthera orbiculata

After the orchid flowered I was able to positively identify it as Platanthera orbiculata.  The exciting thing about this orchid find is that this plant was listed as extirpated not only from Catoctin Mountain Park, but the entire Catoctin Mountain region!  Needless to say I was excited.  The paper draws a correlation between orchid decline and deer over population.  Considering Catoctin Mountain Park has had their deer management plan put in place for only 5 years, it is possible that the decline of deer browse has allowed this orchid to re-emerge.  Imagine what else could pop up!

Until Next Time,

Emily