Plant Carnivory

What are the two broad definitions for a carnivorous plant?

1. A carnivorous plant must posses the morphological adaptations to attract, capture, kill, digest and absorb prey. it must also gain a fitness advantage in doing such. OR 2. it can include plant which rely on mutualism to digest prey.

describe the spectrum of carnivory for plants?

Anything short of the strict definition might be considered protocarnivorous. -some trap animals, which then die, but the plant doesn't absorb the nutrients.

Who originally studied carnivorous plants?

Charles Darwin. he published "Insectivorous Plants" in 1875.

describe active flypaper traps.

Enhance sticky prey capture with local movement. -it serves to bring more digestive enzymes to the insect. -Frequently auxin-mediated growth.

Which plant family can fix nitrogen?

Fabaceae (legumes)

Describe the lobster pot trap.

It is a one way leaf trap, lined with inward pointing hairs, it ends in a cavity lined with digestive glands. -These plants have no true roots and likely preys on small crustaceans.

Describe steel traps.

Leaves with two lobes which spring closed when triggered.

What is typically the limiting nutrient that carnivorous plants are consuming animals to get?

Nitrogen is typically a limiting chemical. It is because nitrogen is volatile, which is typical in fire prone areas.

What are some competitions that carnivorous plants have with other organisms?

Opportunistic insects can "poach" prey they plants capture. -Hemiptera Miridae sucks juices from captured prey of Drosera. -Spiders inhabit traps of several species, and they intercept the prey before the plant can get it. Some animals will exclude prey from the traps. -Wasps will build nests inside the plants and it excludes the prey from getting into the plant.

Describe the pitfall trap.

Passive trap. typically with tightly packed water holding cups. -Insect is attracted to nectar and slip into the water, but cant get out. -there is typically downward pointing hairs or slide insides. -the bug drowns and is digested in the water.

What are some digestive mutualisms that plants have?

Pitcher plants may have many non prey inhabitants, such as bacteria, protozoa, or small crustaceans. -Specialist fly larvae can help break down organic matter. The plants have a high respiration rate so the pitcher plant supports them with increases photosynthesis in cells lining the pitcher (increased oxygen levels).

Describe the geological distribution of carnivorous plants. Are they endemic or panglobal? what type of soil do they reside in?

They are distributed throughout the world in nutrient poor areas, besides the artic and antartic. -there are some that are endemic and many that are panglobal. -all correspond to major areas of sanstone with high rainfall.

How do carnivorous plants derive nutrients? What areas would you find carnivorous plants living in? Do they get all their nutrition from eating insects?

They derive nutrients from trapping and consuming animals or protozoans. They are adapted to nutrient poor sites, typically areas of sandstone and fire prone areas. Carnivory is only for *supplemental* nutrition.

How are the carnivorous plants adapted to different kinds of prey?

Trap structure has to do with prey. -Some plants have weak mucilage, so it traps small prey like gnats. -Some have bright coloration, nectaries so traps are larger. -Many species do this so that competition is at a minimum.

Describe the bladder trap.

Underwater, triggered trap which sucks in water and prey. -digestion follows. -the time to engulf a victim is less than 35 ms.

About how many species of carnivorous plants are there? what does this say about carnivory as a trait?

about 540 species. Carnivory is a strongly convergent trait. They are also taxonomically isolated-meaning that carnivorous plants are typically found in genera and families consisting of entirely carnivorous plants.

How have some carnivorous plants lost their carnivorous adaptive trait? or be losing it?

some retain the ability to capture and kill prey, but most might get their nutrition from fallen leaf litter and from other resources. an example is the Nepenthes ampullaria and N. lowii.

Describe the passive flypaper trap.

sticky glands on modified leaves. They are brightly colored, enhanced with sweet smells, and bear digestive glands. The insect may or may not be close to the digestive glands when it lands/sticks to the plant.

What are protocarnivores/ paracarnivores?

they have some characteristics of a carnivorous plant, but not all.