Abstract
Plant–animal interactions are diverse and widespread shaping ecology, evolution, and biodiversity of most ecological communities. Carnivorous plants are unusual in that they can be simultaneously engaged with animals in multiple mutualistic and antagonistic interactions including reversed plant–animal interactions where they are the predator. Competition with animals is a potential antagonistic plant–animal interaction unique to carnivorous plants when they and animal predators consume the same prey.The goal of this field study was to test the hypothesis that under natural conditions, sundews and spiders are predators consuming the same prey thus creating an environment where interkingdom competition can occur.Over 12 months, we collected data on 15 dates in the only protected Highland Rim Wet Meadow Ecosystem in Kentucky where sundews, sheet‐web spiders, and ground‐running spiders co‐exist. One each sampling day, we attempted to locate fifteen sites with: (a) both sheet‐web spiders and sundews; (b) sundews only; and (c) where neither occurred. Sticky traps were set at each of these sites to determine prey (springtails) activity–density. Ground‐running spiders were collected on sampling days. DNA extraction was performed on all spiders to determine which individuals had eaten springtails and comparing this to the density of sundews where the spiders were captured.Sundews and spiders consumed springtails. Springtail activity–densities were lower, the higher the density of sundews. Both sheet‐web and ground‐running spiders were found less often where sundew densities were high. Sheet‐web size was smaller where sundew densities were high.The results of this study suggest that asymmetrical exploitative competition occurs between sundews and spiders. Sundews appear to have a greater negative impact on spiders, where spiders probably have little impact on sundews. In this example of interkingdom competition where the asymmetry should be most extreme, amensalism where one competitor experiences no cost of interaction may be occurring.
Highlights
Plant–animal interactions are diverse and widespread shaping ecology, evolution, and biodiversity of most ecological communities (Giron et al, 2018; Herrera et al, 2002; Lewinsohn, Prado, Jordano, Bascompte, & Olesen, 2006; Strauss & Irwin, 2004)
The results of this study suggest that the plant–animal interaction between sundews and spiders is most likely exploitative competition
Doing extended field observations on sundew–spider interactions when spiders can move unimpeded is essential to understanding the dynamics between these two wet meadow predators
Summary
Plant–animal interactions are diverse and widespread shaping ecology, evolution, and biodiversity of most ecological communities (Giron et al, 2018; Herrera et al, 2002; Lewinsohn, Prado, Jordano, Bascompte, & Olesen, 2006; Strauss & Irwin, 2004). Most angiosperms are influenced by interactions with animals in some form (Steele, Yi, & Zhang, 2018) These interactions can be complex where plants have different, simultaneous interactions with multiple animals ranging from weak to strong and occurring along a mutualistic-antagonistic gradient (Rodríguez-Rodríguez, Jordano, & Valido, 2017). Charles Darwin (1875) first demonstrated that carnivorous plants capture prey as a source of nutrients These plants have unique and complex plant–animal interactions because ecologically they function as predators. The dwarf sundew, like most carnivorous plants, depends on disturbance in the form of prescribed fire and bare soil brought to the surface by burrowing crayfish (Cambarus sp.) Spiders are both diverse and extremely abundant in the meadow and are in close association with sundews. Sheet-web species of the families Linyphiidae and Hahniidae are abundant and include the genera Neoantistea, Tennessellum, and Grammonota
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