Premium
Nature's pitfall trap: salamanders as rich prey for carnivorous plants in a nutrient‐poor northern bog ecosystem
Author(s) -
Moldowan Patrick D.,
Smith M. Alex,
Baldwin Teskey,
Bartley Timothy,
Rollinson Njal,
Wynen Hannah
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1002/ecy.2770
Subject(s) - bog , ecology , predation , ecosystem , nutrient , peat , environmental science , trap (plumbing) , biology , geography , environmental engineering
Botanical carnivory is an evolutionary marvel of the plant kingdom that has long fascinated general onlookers and naturalists alike. Darwin even dedicated serious study to these 'most wonderful plants in the world' (Darwin 1875; Ellison and Gotelli 2009). Carnivory in plants has evolved multiple times across the world, often in wet, open, and nutrient-poor environments, as an alternative pathway of nutrient acquisition (Butler et al. 2005). Among carnivorous plants, the pitcher plants (family Sarraceniaceae), and specifically the northern pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea purpurea L.), intrigued early natural historians (e.g., Macbride 1815; Riley 1874; James 1883). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.