Transcript - SlideBoom

Murderous Plants
Investigating adaptation
and competition
in carnivorous plants
Lesson 3
Conserving carnivorous plants in a
changing landscape
Cover image © Henrik Larrson
Carnivorous Plant Conservation
Some carnivorous plants,
such as Dionaea muscipula
(Venus flytrap) and
Darlingtonia californica
(Californian Darlingtonia),
have a limited distribution.
This high level of endemism
makes them vulnerable to
changing moisture levels
caused by land drainage and
climate change, poaching by
collectors and land
acquisition for new homes.
Distribution of Darlingtonia californica
- endemic to California and Oregon, USA
Drosera rotundifolia
The last Drosera
rotundifolia was seen
growing at Keston in the
1980’s.
A new management plan which includes increasing
the moisture levels and
removing the competing
vegetation - has been put
in place to create the right
conditions for any
remaining viable seed to
grow at Keston again.
© scaners3d
Keston Bog Conservation Plan
Keston Common Interpretation Board
© London Borough of Bromley
Conservation Actions:
What are your Priorities?
• Creating Protected Areas?
• Passing New Laws?
• Developing an Education Programme?
• Changing Land Management Practices?
• Collecting Seed and Growing Plants off-site
(ex-situ)?
• Reducing Climate Change?
Carnivorous Plant Science Today
National Geographic reported, in 2010, the first study to
show members of the plant and animal kingdoms
competing for prey. In some habitats, carnivorous plants
and certain spider species may compete.
Jason Rohr, an ecologist, who worked on this study,
notes that “Overall, this contradicts a long-held
assumption that competition for food mostly occurs
among closely related taxa, or categories of organisms.”
Extracts from Dell'Amore, C. (2010)
Spiders, Carnivorous Plants Compete for Food—A First.
National Geographic [online]
Carnivorous Plant Science Today
“The plants produce modified
‘toilet pitchers’ that produce
copious amounts of exudates,
the latter serving as a food
source for tree shrews.”
“The exudates are only accessible
to the tree shrews when they
position their hindquarters over
the pitcher orifice.”
Clarke C., Moran J. A. and Chin, L. (2010)
Mutualism between tree shrews and pitcher plants:
Perspectives and avenues for future research
Plant Signalling & Behaviour 5(10): 1187–1189
© Jeremiah Harris