| Abstract | Carnivorous plants inhabit nutrient-poor environments and supplement nutrient acquisition by prey capture. Carnivorous adaptations have been hypothesized to be beneficial only in environments with high light availability. We hypothesized that plant morphology would change in response to resource availability. In a field manipulation in Leon County, Texas, we examined the effects of feeding, shading, and their interaction on pitcher plant (Sarracenia alata) morphology. When light availability was reduced, plants produced pitchers that had smaller diameters. Unfed plants exhibited reduced growth. As the season progressed, competing vegetation began to reduce light availability to all pitchers. Plants in all treatments began to produce pitchers that were blade-like with a small, non-functional opening and a widened keel. This experiment provides support for the theoretical model that prey capture is only beneficial under conditions of high light availability. It also emphasizes the importance of periodic burns of carnivorous plant bogs to remove competing vegetation. |
