Wednesday (11/7), Destario Metusala, an orchid expert and researcher from the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, successfully earned a doctoral degree from the Biology Postgraduate Program, FMIPA UI with Cum Laude honors after successfully completing and defending his dissertation in the Doctoral Promotion Defense of the University of Indonesia with the title “Study of Adaptation Potential to Drought Stress Due to Climate Change in Indonesian Tropical Orchid Communities Based on Anatomical and Physiological Characteristics Analysis”.
In his dissertation, the Purwodadi Botanical Gardens taxonomist explained his research on the threat of drought stress on one of the important plant groups in the tropical ecosystem, namely the Orchid Community. (Orchidaceae).
This is due to global climate change, which has led to an increase in the frequency and intensity of drought stress in various regions of the world. Some of the causes include the El Niño anomaly, rising tropical sea surface temperatures, and decreased rainfall frequency.
The increased frequency and intensity of drought stress in tropical rainforests poses a major threat to the plants within them. This causes rapid changes in the normal physiological functions of plants.
The high level of extinction threat to various orchid species has made this group a priority for plant conservation within the region.
Orchid communities have evolved with two dominant life forms: epiphytic and terrestrial. The differences between epiphytic and terrestrial life forms are known to influence the ecological characteristics of their habitats and their ability to adapt to drought stress.
Furthermore, Rio, familiarly known as Rio, explained that one effective approach to evaluating the level of plant adaptation to drought stress is through anatomical and physiological studies. Rio said this is to compare the levels of adaptation to drought stress in various plant species.
“Anatomic and physiological approaches are crucial for gaining a comprehensive understanding of plant mechanisms under water-limited conditions,” he added.
Thus, research into the anatomy and physiological responses of various tropical orchid species in Indonesia is expected to provide insight into their levels of adaptation and vulnerability to drought stress.
Rio, who also discovered several orchid species, explained that research on orchid diversity is a priority for the Purwodadi Botanical Gardens and the University of Indonesia through the Indigenous Studies program. These species were also described thanks to the active participation of the student organization Canopy (Department of Biology, University of Indonesia) in assisting with habitat observation and population records.
