Calanthe pauciverrucosa

This orchid has been recorded from the Ruteng area and probably, from the elevations given, within the Ruteng Nature Recreation Park, a protected area. Although it is noted to have some ongoing threats from coffee plantations along its perimeter and at a few sites within the park, and some illegal logging/wood collection (Monk et al. 1997, Wiratno and Sukandar 2013), it is suspected that the threats within the park are not leading to continuing declines for this orchid as this protected area preserves some of the best montane and submontane forest on the island (Pattanayak and Wendland 2007). Mt Ranakah, within the park, is an active volcano. A new lava dome, named Anak Ranakah (Child of Ranakah) was formed in 1987 and it erupted again in 1991 and there was some activity in 2011 and 2012; an old lava scar is visible in satellite imagery (Google Earth 2020). Lava dome volcanoes are prone to sudden onsets of violent explosive activity (Smithsonian Museum of Natural History 2020). Vegetation may be impacted by lava, smothered by ash falls, and atmospheric water and volcanic gas within an ash plume may also produce acid rain (USGS 2015). Studies have suggested potential impact zones encompass areas 12 km in diameter extending from the peak, with additional threat to valleys beyond this from pyroclastic flow (Wahyudin 2012) and this volcanic activity poses a future threat in this area. In 1990, there was an estimate that only 18% of West Nusa Tenggara (Lombok to Sumbawa) was covered by semi-evergreen forest and that clearance and the burning of forest had a major impact on the vegetation (Butchart 1996). There are a number of ongoing threats on Sumbawa including conversion for coffee plantations (Wiriadinata et al. 2013), shifting cultivation (Johnstone et al. 1996), mining operations, logging and local firewood collection (Butchart 1996). In the mountainous area in Sumbawa where it was found, the Mt Batulanteh forests have been heavily disturbed in some areas by logging, with 56% of the Batulanteh forest area assigned for production purposes. There has also been conversion to agricultural land, especially in lowland and lower montane areas, but natural and regenerating forests remain (Mansur and Karawinata 2017).