Encyclia tampensis, the Florida butterfly orchid, is an epiphytic orchid native to Florida, Cuba, and the Bahamas. In Florida, E. tampensis grows in various habitats, including scrub, mesic hammocks, and pine flatwoods. The lack of habitat specialization of this species likely contributes to its secure conservation status throughout its range and its relative abundance when compared to other epiphytic orchid species in Florida. Although E. tampensis is currently secure, conservation efforts involving this orchid such as reintroductions are vital due to the ever-expanding human footprint that has historically led to habitat loss/land use change. In this study, we ask two questions; 1. Does matching seed source habitat to restoration site habitat lead to a higher survival rate over time for reintroduced individuals? 2. How well was the genetic diversity of the source population captured in lab-grown individuals used for reintroductions?

The Student Will: Extract DNA from Encyclia tampensis leaves from the outplanted population (~54 individuals) as well as the mother populations of each of the different seed source locations (~20 leaves/population). Conduct population genetics analysis using the microsatellite markers.