Knowledge gaps and opportunities for conservation with orchid collectors in Vietnam

Unsustainable harvesting of orchid species is a critical, global threat to orchid diversity and abundance, fueled by domestic and global demand. However, drivers of demand continue to be under-explored, despite opportunities for proactive engagement and/or behavior change strategies with and/or directed at orchid collectors. In this study, we surveyed self-identified Vietnamese orchid collectors, some of whom were also known to engage in wild harvesting of endangered species, to understand sociological dimensions including motivations, knowledge, attitudes, behaviors, and conservation ethos. We found that knowledge about domestic and international regulations was low, and that orchid collectors were likely to believe that Vietnam has plenty of orchids left in the wild. Orchid collectors were highly willing to share their expertise and collections with international NGOs, and receive advice on propagation of orchid species. Through Bayesian logistic regression, we found no statistically significant influence of demographic attributes on the behavior of harvesting from the wild; however, having access to propagation equipment and supplies increased the likelihood of wild harvest. Accurate knowledge (awareness) is a key first step in the behavior change process. We suggest the implementation of awareness-raising campaigns targeted at Vietnamese orchid collectors, which communicate domestic and international restrictions about orchid harvest and trade, as well as the known status of orchid species in the wild. Additionally, we suggest that an opportunity exists to recruit Vietnamese orchid collectors into a formal network for knowledge-sharing and the co-creation of sustainable guidelines around keeping and propagating orchids.

Abstract in Vietnamese is available with online material.