A multidisciplinary research program to assess limiting factors and predict impacts of climate change for endangered Australian orchids

An understanding of the factors limiting endangered plants is critical for their conservation. Our multidisciplinary team will develop and apply novel and innovative approaches for the assessment of key limiting factors for Australian orchids: pollinator abundance and mycorrhizal fungal availability. Underpinned by survey distribution data for all three elements, we will apply environmental and surface climate models to predict potential distributions of the interacting species in order to guide in situ and ex situ conservation strategies. We will also explore the implications of our predictions under a range of climate change scenarios. The methods developed will be applicable to endangered plants, and their interactions, more generally.