Underwater Traps in the Tropics:
Do the ecological requirements of a carnivorous plant vary between tropical and temperate regions?
Ecological aspects of aquatic carnivorous plant Utricularia gibba in the tropics and other species in temperate regions
Carnivory is a rare trait in the plant kingdom. This animal-associated trait has been expressed in only about 800 species among more than 350,000 flowering plants. Characteristics of carnivorous plants include the ability to trap, kill, and digest prey, and to absorb nutrients from it. These characteristics allow carnivorous plants to increase their survival, growth and reproduction in nutrient-limited habitats. Most carnivorous plants inhabit terrestrial environments, such as lowland forests, peatland forests and tropical montane forests. However, some carnivorous plants are aquatic, i.e. Aldrovanda vesiculosa and some species of Utricularia. A recent study in the tropics suggested that these aquatic carnivorous plants occupy various still waters, including tropical peatland environments. This module will explore the ecological requirements of the aquatic carnivorous plant Utricularia, including those in tropical peatlands of Borneo.
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