Encyclopedia > Wheeler Orchid Collection and Species Bank
The Wheeler Orchid Collection and Species Bank is located within Christy Woods, an 18 acre (73,000 m²) property located on the southwest corner of the Ball State University campus in Muncie, Indiana, USA. Ball State University is a state-run university in Muncie, Indiana. ... Muncie is a city in Delaware County in southeast Indiana, best known as the home of Ball State University. ...
The collection contains over 1,200 plants, from over 85 genera, represented by over 500 different species and over 100 hybrid orchids. The core of the collection was originally donated 1971 by W. O. and Goldie Wheeler of Indianapolis. In 1982, Al Thanhauser of Connecticut contributed another large donation of over 600 orchids, and it has since been augmented with government-seized imports of protected orchid species from around the world. The collection also includes a display of tropical poison arrow frogs. Orchid re-directs here; for alternate uses see Orchid (disambiguation) Genera Over 800 See List of Orchidaceae genera. ...
The purpose of WOCSB is to conserve rare and endangered species of orchids, disseminate them for preservation, and utilize the Collection for research and education.
Orchids are displayed in WOCSB with other tropical plants to give the visitor an impression of being in a small tropical environment.
It is collections such as The WheelerOrchidCollection and SpeciesBank that hope to serve as a genetic repository for speciesorchids, that they may not become extinct.
Several species of Puerto Rican amphibians have experienced drastic population declines in the last 20 years; in fact, almost two-thirds of Puerto Rico's endemic amphibians are declining (R. Joglar, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, personal communication; Table 4).
Species that have developed on remote oceanic islands in the absence of such predators or competitors are usually at a great disadvantage and may easily fall victim to such invaders.
At least 32 species of nonindigenous birds have become established in breeding populations in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands (Raffaele 1989); an additional 5 species are suspected of breeding in the region.
Feeds |
Contact