French Military Airbase has 155,000 Near Threatened Orchid Species Growing Along its Runway

(Photo : Photo: CecilF / Wikimedia Commons)

On the runways in a military airbase in Corsica, France, scientists have found the largest collection of rare, near-threatened orchids in the world. On the runways, there are thought to be 155,000 Serapias neglecta or Scarce Tongue orchids.

The protected species of orchid took advantage of the base's safe location and gardening guidelines and bloomed all around it.

155,000 Serapias Neglecta Blooms

Only the southern regions of Italy, France, and the eastern Adriatic coast are home to orchids, and over time, their populations have started to decline. The International Union for Conservation of Nature's World and European Red Lists currently classify them as "near threatened." However, it appears that these uncommon flowers have discovered the ideal location to grow, far from the 3 million tourists who visit the Mediterranean island each year.

Bertrand Schatz, from the Centre of Functional Ecology and Evolution (CEFE), explained that Because military bases are off-limits to the general public, are not frequently impacted, and frequently have soils that are untreated and poorly fertilized due to old installations, they frequently have high biodiversity.

The researchers were looking at the plant diversity at the Solenzara airbase located in eastern Corsica when they came across the rare orchid of 155,000 flowers. They think that the upkeep of the abandoned military installation is particularly beneficial for the growth of these orchids, which are found around the lawns and runways.

The meadows surrounding the base are routinely mowed for security purposes, resulting in a low vegetation environment that favors orchid growth with little competition. Additionally, the base is situated on an old riverbed of the Travo, which tends to favor low vegetation and offers rocky ground merely a few centimeters below the surface.

Schatz points out that the S. Neglecta is particularly noteworthy because it has national protection status, is a sub-endemic species, and has a very restricted geographic range.

Wait, There's More! 552 Plant Species

But other endangered species also benefit from the airbase's protected environment, in addition to rare orchids. The researchers tallied 552 plant species in total, 19 of which are protected in France. The 1,360 acres contained 23% of the plant species found throughout Corsica, including 12 other species of orchid. Gratiole and Anthemis arvensis subsp. incrassata, which is a subspecies of corn chamomile, were two of the extremely rare and endangered plants that were present.

Several of these species have already disappeared from the coastlines of Corsica, a well-liked tourist destination that is rapidly becoming more urbanized. The distinction between these locations and the military installation demonstrates how crucial it is to protect these species.

Schatz continued to say that the conservation and preservation of this remarkable floristic biodiversity and, in particular, of this exceptionally abundant orchid, will have to be prioritized if logistical developments are made on this basis. Military installations offer excellent opportunities for species conservation and would gain from preserving their natural heritage, Newsweek reports.