Project Outline:

The general consensus among authorities is that the true size of botanical inventory for Papua New Guinea as a whole is unknown and open to considerable speculation. It has been estimated that PNG hosts about 15% of the world’s fern species with around 3,000 species, including hosting around 2,800 species of orchids accounting for about 11% of the world’s total orchid species (Papua New Guinea’s Fifth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity,
2014). In the findings of Camara-Leret et al (2020), on ‘New Guinea has the world’s richest island flora’, it showed that epiphytes constitute about 22% of the flora in the region.

Therefore, this project (2026–2027) aims to systematically inventory epiphytic orchid and fern community composition, analyse their vertical distribution, and understand the influence of the biotic and abiotic factors influencing them. Specifically, it will conduct an in-depth study of the composition, diversity, and host tree preferences of epiphytic orchids and ferns in the tropical montane forests of Papua New Guinea, at the elevation of Mt. Wilhelm, addressing significant
knowledge gaps in the ecology of Papua New Guinea’s epiphyte flora.

This project focuses on:
1. Systematically inventorying epiphytic orchid and fern community composition along the Mt. Wilhelm elevational transect.
2. Employing single rope climbing techniques to access the canopy and examine these epiphytes in situ.
3. Applying a vertical stratification scheme to document niche preferences in relation to microclimate (light intensity, humidity, and temperature).
4. Characterising phorophyte (host tree) traits, including bark type and tree architecture, to understand host preferences.
Ultimately, this project will serve as a foundational study for future research on epiphytic orchids and ferns in Papua New Guinea.