Biogeography and habitats of carnivorous plants

Abstract

Understanding the processes involved in generating distribution patterns of carnivorous plants requires investigation at multiple scales. Carnivorous plants typically occur in warm or hot and humid or wet climates in subtropical to tropical regions of all continents. Carnivorous plants tend to grow in wet, open, and nutrient-poor habitats. Most carnivorous plants are less tolerant of dry soils than are non-carnivorous plants. The reasons why many carnivorous plants are absent from habitats with nutrient-rich soils remain unclear, but the roles of competition and soil anoxia warrant greater attention. Reduced competition from woody plants (e.g., following fires) contributes to neutral coexistence of carnivorous and noncarnivorous herbs, and there is no evidence to date in support of nutrient-niche partitioning. More studies of interspecific competition are needed to understand better the distribution patterns and drivers of species coexistence of carnivorous and noncarnivorous plants.