‘Orchids in a Changing World’

This was the theme of the 4^th International Congress on Orchid Conservation that took place in Hluboká nad Vltavou from May 2009 – June 6, 2011. Organisers noted “we are now experiencing dramatic changes in most aspects of our life. Modern technologies are being devised and deployed with increasing frequency; and although they make our lives easier, their consequences, such as air, soil and water, pollution greatly increase the pressure on our already over-stressed environment. To keep up with a rapidly growing human population, agricultural practices tend to be more and more intensive, which in turn has a negative effect on biodiversity in agricultural landscapes.”