Habitat:
Geography:
The Dracula orchid is endemic (a species or taxonomic group that
is only found in one particular country or geographic area) to
Ecuador in South America. The Dracula orchid can only be found
on the sides of the active stratovolcano (also known as a
composite volcano) of Mount Pichincha.
Habitat: The Dracula orchid thrives in
a mountainous habitat. The Dracula orchid is an epiphyte. An
epiphyte is a plant that uses another plant, usually a tree for its
physical support, but does not draw nutrients from it. For more
information
on the relationships between the Dracula orchid and its ‘host’
please see the interactions page. Because the Dracula
orchid’s niche is located on other plants, it does not obtain its
nutrients and moisture from the soil. The organism, instead acquires
its nutrients and moisture %20growing%20on%20trees%20in%20Amber%20Mountain%20National%20Park.jpg)
from the air, rain, or potentially debris
accumulating around the organism. This is a useful adaptation to
have made, given the environment that the organism occupies has a
high level of humidity, and limited direct sunlight due to heavy
cloud cover in the high altitudes of the mountain. Other examples of
organism that use the same mode of nutrient accumulations are
liverworts, mosses, ferns and algae.
Click to continue onto
Adaptation!
To view another organism that occupies a similar niche, check out
the
Sago Lisa Moth Orchid!
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