Monitoring the impact of anthropogenic and naturogenic threats on orchid community through diversity, taxonomy and conservation studies is necessary. Reintroduction of these species to their natural habitat associates with their resilience, selection of suitable trees and sites for regeneration and restoration efforts, drives the conservation initiative. Upon obtaining an accurate estimate of the diversity for genetic resource conservation, integrative methods of classical morphological taxonomy, anatomy (micromorphology), and molecular genetics are crucial to solve the taxonomic uncertainty. Changes in microclimatic conditions and habitat structures are the key determinants of both epiphytic and terrestrial orchids assemblages following disturbance. Any assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem service must include variable forest types and management regimes to provide impartial views on the effect of forest and ecological disturbance on the orchid community. Accordingly, a plant-microbial ecology study should be included to study the extent of human-induced climatic variability towards the orchid diversification.

As an attempt to examine the causes of forest disturbance and degradation of the orchid community, a comparative study on diversity and ecology in eight undisturbed and ten disturbed forests in Peninsular Malaysia was conducted that varied in areas, elevations, vegetation types, and disturbance regimes. Density and individual-based rarefaction curves were used to describe the abundance. Univariate and multivariate analyses were also performed to explore the associations of species abundance with biotic and abiotic factors. The study reported 239 orchid species belonging to 65 genera. Species richness, abundance, density, and diversity of orchids varied by locality. Higher density of orchids (2.433 plants/km²) occurred in the undisturbed forests than in the disturbed forests (0.228 plants/km²). As with the character of undisturbed forests, the temperature was between 27.8 ± 0.3 °C and 31.2 ± 0.2 °C, humid (77.1 ± 1.2%–89.6 ± 0.9%), and with low light intensity (23.8 ± 3.3 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹–171.7 ± 18.8 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹), thus supporting the high density of the plants. Disturbed forests had higher diversity (H = 4.934 and 1-D = 0.990) and abundance (183 species of 57 genera) but were determined to be highly influenced by the higher abundance of epiphytic orchids on the fallen trees and ease of accessibility in the logged forests. Terrestrial and mycoheterotroph orchids were much lower in density and abundance in the disturbed habitat indicating a gradual reduction in their niche availability following the disturbance. Additionally, the ecology data show that the microclimate conditions of the canopy-covered forest was influenced by proximity to the logged area which had eventually reduced the orchids’ habitat quality. Furthermore, the results show that the abundance of epiphytic orchid communities was associated with the host plant characteristics. Host types and bark texture preference were apparent for the epiphytic orchid species, with certain types and textures hosting more orchid species than others. Overall results show that extreme temperature, humidity, and light intensity caused by the canopy opening inflicted damages to the habitat conditions and bark textures of the host plants and limits recolonisation of the orchids in the disturbed forests. The species diversity and density patterns of orchids in undisturbed and disturbed forests revealed in this study provide a baseline for conservationists, policy makers, and forest authorities in expanding the understanding of the forest ecology and vegetation along the disturbance gradient, forest regeneration, and criteria for plant selection for forest restoration in Peninsular Malaysia.

A new species, Thismia perlisensis, found during a scientific expedition in the Perlis State Park, is described and illustrated. The new species was discovered in a wetland forest on a limestone foothill. Morphological description, photographic data including habitat, and a key to the species of the Thismia Sect. Thismia Subsect. Brunonithismia recorded from Malaysia are provided. The new species is easily distinguished from the similar species, T. arachnites, T. javanica, T. tentaculata, and T. kenyirensis by the prominent reddish dome-shaped annulus instead of ring-like with rim, deeply trilobed stigma with bifid and subulate lobes, and claviform apices of the inner tepals.

A new species Durio gerikensis (Malvaceae) is described from Hulu Perak, Peninsular Malaysia, it can be easily recognised in the field by its reddish-pink flowers and small (6–7.5 cm in diameter), golden yellowish to pale yellow fruits with persistent calyx. It is unique from all the congeneric taxa by having two to four valved fruits with arilless seeds. Morphologically, Durio gerikensis is similar to D. lanceolatus Mast. (Masters 1875:499) and D. singaporensis Ridl. (Ridley 1916: 143) but they differ in their leaf, flower and fruit characteristics.