This book is based on the proceedings of a national symposium on orchid conservation, which was held at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, 12th & 13th November, 1986. It contains a series of articles on orchid conservation from three separate perspectives: in relation to physiology, ecology and management.

The intention of the symposium was to exchange viewpoints and to foster collaboration between scientists involved with experimental physiology and ecology, and members of the various national conservation organisations mainly concerned with management. The subject matter encompassed storage and germination of seeds and pollen, tissue culture, population biology, reserve and living collection management, and international trade regulations.

With this diversity of topics covered in this book it is hoped that it will be a useful starting point for those involved in all aspects of conservation, not just with orchids, providing an outline of the modern methods which are now available to the conservationist.

I would like to express my gratitude to all my colleagues at Wakehurst Place for their support and help in running the symposium. Thanks also to Mrs P. Bloomfield for secretarial services and Mrs J. Peschiera for help in preparing the artwork for the book. Finally, thanks to the contributors for their co-operation throughout, and to the staff of Cambridge University Press for their assistance in the production of this volume.