• Dr A. Srinivasa Rao
• Dr. P. Srinivasa Rao
• Meghana Kusuru

Western Ghats is one of the major tropical evergreen-forested regions in India and is one of the hottest hot spots in the World. Increasing urbanization as well as deforestation and thereby resulting habitat loss leads us to give a hand on conservation of such challenging biodiversity in these region. Aerides crispa and Cleisostoma tenuifolium are two vulnerable orchid plants from Kodagu, which is the heart of Western Ghats and are used as source of endophyte for the study. Isolation and molecular characterization of endophytic bacteria from the plants were studied to its genotypic level by comparing the PCR isolated 16S rRNA sequences. Nucleotide sequences were compared with the NCBI database and accession numbers for each bacterial strain were obtained from the Gen Bank. About 12 different bacteria were molecularly identified from these two orchids, A. crispa and C. tenuifolium. Orchids and microbes from orchids are less considered areas among researchers. Furthermore, the wide range of endophytes from such vulnerable plants speaks a lot about the necessity of bio-conservation of endophytes, orchids and thereby, harboring habitat of Western Ghats for the upcoming generation. However, vigorous trials were necessary to identify diversified endophytes from vulnerable plant habitats and so as a small step towards the biodiversity conservation of one of the most important biogeographic zones of the World.

Western Ghats is one of the major tropical evergreen-forested regions in India and is one of the hottest hot spots in the World. Increasing urbanization as well as deforestation and thereby resulting habitat loss leads us to give a hand on conservation of such challenging biodiversity in these region. Aerides crispa and Cleisostoma tenuifolium are two vulnerable orchid plants from Kodagu, which is the heart of Western Ghats and are used as source of endophyte for the study. Isolation and molecular characterization of endophytic bacteria from the plants were studied to its genotypic level by comparing the PCR isolated 16S rRNA sequences. Nucleotide sequences were compared with the NCBI database and accession numbers for each bacterial strain were obtained from the Gen Bank. About 12 different bacteria were molecularly identified from these two orchids, A. crispa and C. tenuifolium. Orchids and microbes from orchids are less considered areas among researchers. Furthermore, the wide range of endophytes from such vulnerable plants speaks a lot about the necessity of bio-conservation of endophytes, orchids and thereby, harboring habitat of Western Ghats for the upcoming generation. However, vigorous trials were necessary to identify diversified endophytes from vulnerable plant habitats and so as a small step towards the biodiversity conservation of one of the most important biogeographic zones of the World.

"ECOLGY AND DIVERSITY OF ORCHIDS IN INDIA", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 10, page no.d616-d625, October-2025, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2510380.pdf

"ECOLGY AND DIVERSITY OF ORCHIDS IN INDIA", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.12, Issue 10, page no. ppd616-d625, October-2025, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR2510380.pdf