7-days of FREE Audio papers, translation & more with Prime
7-days of FREE Prime access
7-days of FREE Audio papers, translation & more with Prime
7-days of FREE Prime access
https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2021.1897704
Copy DOIPublication Date: Mar 5, 2021 | |
Citations: 4 |
Utricularia (bladderwort) trap contents have frequently been used to define its diet, but there is a scarcity of information on prey availability. Yet making comparisons between trap contents and outside communities could help define feeding strategies of these fascinating carnivorous plants. This study focuses on U. australis, the most common aquatic bladderwort in central Italy, with data of inside- and outside-trap communities from 23 sites. The feeding strategy of U. australis is highly dependent on prey availability and size; the prey has to be large enough to stimulate trap triggering, yet small enough to be taken up through the trap door unimpeded. In addition, the prey has to be moderately motile but not dispersive. The trap contents were generally a mixture of species taken up by active and spontaneous trap firing. Stimulation of a heavy epiphytic growth by Utricularia resulted in higher entrapment of epiphyte-grazing taxa resulting in a positive feedback loop. The comparative data here also suggest that prey digestion is a rapid enough process that keeps up with the seasonal succession of the outside community. The trapped community (or the diet) of U. australis seems to derive by the contribution of all these factors.
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.