Have you ever thought about whether there is an unlimited food resources in nature? Think about water cycle while drinking some water. Biologically usable fresh water percent is only 0.0001 of total water reserve of earth. As an Orchid researcher, I should focus your interest to Orchids. I think most of you know that salep is made from grinding the dried tubers of some terrestrial Orchids. This Orchids should have ovoid tubers such as Orchis mascula, Orchis militaris etc. I’ ve told about etymology of salep word in my previous article. So it is time to talk about how many Orchid tubers are collected to make salep every year. I know your answer will be “many”, but nobody knows how wild Orchid population is destroyed to make salep. According to Table 2 from Sezik (1984), in first column you see local names of some Orchids using to make salep. The most widely used Orchid is “Muğla Salebi”, its scientific name is Orchis anatolica. Near 4.348.000 tubers for 1000kg. Please think that near 15.000 kg of salep is being exported every year. Total number increases to 65.220.000 tubers. You should add same number for domestic use. Total 130.440.000 tubers.
Table 2: Tuber numbers in 1000g and 1000kg salep (from Sezik, 1984) (6).
Good news, salep exports were prohibited in 1996 in Turkey. Please check The List of Prohibited Goods to International Trade. But still salep collectors destroy Orchids in Turkey for domestic trade. Millions of Orchid tubers are collected every year.
We are as Orchid lovers, have to make people conscious about saving natural resources and their sustainability. This natural resources are not only belong with us, but also next generations have right on them.
In the third part of article I try to explain “The Orchid Wealth of Turkey” with numbers.
Kaan HÜRKAN
Biologist, M.Sc.
Kaan HÜRKAN
Biologist, M.Sc.
References
6) Sezik, E., 1984. Orkidelerimiz. Sandoz Kültür Yayınları No:6.
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