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Carnivorous Plants: Science Fiction or Science??. What in the world is a carnivorous plant?. Must be able to attract, capture and kill animals (mostly insects) Also must digest the animal Can survive without eating meat, though.
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What in the world is a carnivorous plant? • Must be able to attract, capture and kill animals (mostly insects) • Also must digest the animal • Can survive without eating meat, though. • Most are small (<1 m tall) but one vine species can grow to be 10 m long
Where in the world can I find these plants? • Everywhere except Antarctica!! • More abundant in Australia, southeast Asia and North America • Even Alachua county has them!! • 600 species and sub-species, but not all related to each other
Let’s Review. . . 1) What are the 4 traits of a carnivorous plant? They attract, capture, kill and digest animals 2) Do non-carnivorous plants share any of these traits? Non-carnivorous plants can attract insects 3) Do they need to eat meat to survive? No-they have been grown in labs without meat 4) Where in the world can you find these plants? Everywhere except Antarctica 5) How many species are there? Are they all related? 600 species and sub-species; they are not all related (convergent evolution)
What habitat do they live in? • The genus Utricularia is aquatic (freshwater) • Mainly found in nutrient poor wetlands (ex. Bogs) • Decaying plants release acidic compounds • Microorganisms cannot function • Difficult for plants to get nutrients from acidic soil
Why aren’t all plants meat-eaters? • Carnivorous plants have an advantage over non-carnivorous plants in nutrient poor habitats • In habitats with more nutrients, non-carnivorous plants do better because they do not have to put energy into special structures.
Let’s Review. . . 1. What is the most common habitat of carnivorous plants? Nutrient poor wetlands. 2. What feature of their habitat allowed them to evolve carnivory? The lack of nutrients available in the soil. 3. Why does the habitat have this feature? pH of water is low, so bacteria cannot help decompose plants and plants cannot take up nutrients as easily. 4. Why do non-carnivorous plants do better in habitats with more nutrients? Because they do not have to put energy into special structures to capture prey like carnivorous plants do.
What animals do they eat? • Mostly Insects and spiders (gnats, flies, moths, wasps, spiders, butterflies, beetles and ants) • Freshwater species eat small water animals and fish and mosquito larvae • Some capture small amphibians (frogs) and small birds and rodents have been found in some tropical species!! • Some species even eat insect and bird excrement!!
How do these plants capture prey? • Can be sweet-smelling or brightly colored to attract prey to their trap • There are 2 types of traps • Active: Use rapid movement (ex. Venus fly-trap, Utricularia) • Passive: sticky hairs or a long tube with hairs that trap prey
Let’s Review . . . 1. What do carnivorous plants commonly eat? Insects, spiders and aquatic plants eat small animals, fish and mosquito larvae. 2. Name 3 less common things they have been found to eat. Amphibians, birds and rodents 3. What are the two types of traps they use to catch their prey? Active and passive 4. Name a variation of each type of trap. Active: bladderwort (Utricularia), venus fly trap (Dionaea). Passive: pitcher plant has a pitfall trap; most carnivorous plants have sticky hairs.
How do they digest their prey? • Most produce digestive enzymes • Some rely on bacteria • Some use both bacteria and digestive enzymes
How do we affect carnivorous plants? • Only 3-5% of carnivorous plant habitat left! • Draining wetlands • For roads, homes, stores and water • Suppressing fire • Many ecosystems need fire to stay healthy • Pollution from homes and agriculture • Gets into water and destroys plants • Poaching the plants: Many are endangered.
Final Review and Wrap-Up 1) What are the 4 traits of a carnivorous plant? Do non-carnivorous plants have any of these traits? Attract, capture, kill and digest animals. Yes, many plants attract insects for pollination. 2) How many species are there of carnivorous plants? Are they all related? 600 species and sub-species that are not all related (convergent evolution) 3) In what habitats and parts of the world are they found? Found mostly in nutrient poor wetlands everywhere except Antarctica. 4) What feature of their habitat allowed them to evolve carnivory? Lack of nutrients
Final Review and Wrap-Up cont… 1) What are some of their common prey species? Some less common ones? Insects and spiders. Less common are amphibians, birds and rodents. 2) What are the two ways they capture their prey? Active and passive traps. 3) How do they digest their prey (hint: what do some use to help them digest?)? Some secrete digestive enzymes, some use enzymes and bacteria to help them digest (symbiosis). 4) How have humans affected carnivorous plant populations and their habitat? Humans have drained wetlands, suppressed fire, polluted water, used too much water and poached plants.
Nursing Plants Research Question: -Does the presence of a nursing plant aid in the growth of infant plants?-What species of plant most benefit from a nursing relationship? Develop two hypotheses! You will be collecting data to test your hypotheses! YAY FUN!!!
Organism of the Day! Blobfish: Psychrolutesmarcidus The blobfish is a fish that inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of Australia and Tasmania. Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it is rarely seen by humans.
THE BLOB!!!!AHHH Blobfish are found at depths where the pressure is several dozens of times higher than at sea level, which would likely make gas bladders inefficient. To remain buoyant, the flesh of the blobfish is primarily a gelatinous mass with a density slightly less than water; this allows the fish to float above the sea floor without expending energy on swimming. The relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats by in front it.
Going with the flow…. Its relative lack of muscle is not a disadvantage as it primarily swallows edible matter that floats in front of it. Blobfish eat invertebrates like crabs and sea pens. The Blobfish are currently endangered due to deep sea overfishing and sea floor trawling.
Organism of the Day! Bombardier Beetle: Pheropsophusverticalis When disturbed, the beetle ejects a noxious chemical spray in a rapid burst of pulses from special glands in its abdomen. The ejection is accompanied with a popping sound. A bombardier beetle produces and stores two reactant chemical compounds, hydroquinone and hydrogen peroxide, in separate reservoirs in the rear tip of its abdomen.
Spray and Prey…..lol Most species of bombardier beetles are carnivorous, including the larva.[2] The beetle typically hunts at night for other insects, but will often congregate with others of its species when not actively looking for food.
Burst Fire! These reactions release free oxygen and generate enough heat to bring the mixture to the boiling point and vaporize about a fifth of it. Under pressure of the released gases, the valve is forced closed, and the chemicals are expelled explosively through openings at the tip of the abdomen. Each time it does this, it shoots about 70 times very rapidly. The damage caused can be fatal to attacking insects and small creatures and is painful to human skin. Can reach temperatures of 272 degrees F!
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