Appendicula calcarata

In the areas where this species has been recorded there has been a loss of forest cover. Wood et al. (1993) highlight the threats posed by expanding human settlement, mining activities, dams, logging, agriculture, including large scale plantations, and conversion of land to leisure pursuits such as golf courses for example on the Pinosuk Plateau. Tourism may provide the stimulus to protect habitat and endangered species, but an increased number of tourists can themselves create environmental pressure. Orchids may be subject to collection by, or for, orchid enthusiasts, but it is not known whether this orchid is affected. It has been recorded from the Tawau Hills Park in Sabah in an area with signs of previous logging activity. Climate change may pose a future threat to species of moist forests, particularly with more regular El Niño droughts (A. Lamb pers. comm. 2014).

Collections of this species were made in 1931 and 1933 close to what is now the 75,370 ha World Heritage designated Kinabalu Park in the Malaysian state of Sabah and it is listed as a plant of Mount Kinabalu (Wood et al. 1993). The park is recognized as an area of high diversity and endemism. The 139,919 ha Taman Negara Banjaran Crocker (Crocker Range Park) lies within 10 km of the above collections and it is thought to occur within this extensive park area (A. Lamb pers. comm. 2014). The Heart of Borneo initiative may also help protect areas within the range of this species (World Wildlife Fund 2009). It has also been recorded from the Tawau Hills Park in Sabah. This orchid is cultivated in a conservation project known as Kipandi Park close to the Crocker Range. It is recommended that seed is also collected and stored as part of ex situ conservation measures.