Biomass allocation patterns in terrestrial, epiphytic and aquatic species of Utricularia (Lentibulariaceae)

Photosynthetic CO2 affinity of the aquatic carnivorous plant Utricularia australis (Lentibulariaceae) and its investment in carnivory

“…In aquatic Utricularia species with homogeneous shoots, about 10-55% of the total plant biomass is formed by traps (Friday 1992;Knight 1992;Richards 2001;Englund and Harms 2003;Porembski et al 2006;Adamec 2007;Kibriya and Jones 2007). While Kibriya and Jones (2007) found a significant, inversely proportional relationship in U. vulgaris between phosphate concentration in the ambient water and the trap proportion, an inversely proportional relationship between trap proportion and shoot N content was proven by Adamec (2008a) for U. australis.…”

“…In aquatic Utricularia species, the structural and energetic costs of traps are considerable (Friday 1992;Knight 1992;Adamec 2006Adamec , 2007Porembski et al 2006), and the plants change the proportion of trap biomass as their investment in carnivory according to some habitat factors including prey availability (Knight 1992;Guisande et al 2000Guisande et al , 2004Richards 2001;Englund and Harms 2003;Manjarre´s-Herna´ndez et al 2006;Adamec 2007;Kibriya and Jones 2007). In aquatic Utricularia species with homogeneous shoots, about 10-55% of the total plant biomass is formed by traps (Friday 1992;Knight 1992;Richards 2001;Englund and Harms 2003;Porembski et al 2006;Adamec 2007;Kibriya and Jones 2007).…”

Mineral nutrient relations in the aquatic carnivorous plant Utricularia australis and its investment in carnivory

“…One of the main aims of this study has been to identify the exogenous and endogenous controls over trap formation as a measure of carnivory investment in U. australis. Porembski et al (2006) selected ten Utricu-laria species belonging to different ecological groups (aquatic, terrestrial, epiphytic) and showed, using the same measure, that the amount of investment in carnivory varied consistently between species of different ecological groups. For U. australis 12 th leaf whorls, the proportion of trap biomass ranged from 23-61 % (Table 2).…”

“…It is evident though that many aquatic carnivorous plant species in their typical habitats do not comply, as irradiance is often low and sometimes also free CO 2 is sub-optimal, though [CO 2 ] is commonly high (> 0.1 mM; see e.g., Hough & Fornwall 1988, Adamec 1997b, Adamec & Lev 2002. In aquatic Utricularia species, the structural and maintenance costs of traps are considerable (Friday 1992, Knight 1992, Adamec 2006, Porembski et al 2006), but the plants are able to change the proportion of their resources invested in traps (their 'investment in carnivory') to match variations in habitat factors: particularly water chemistry, prey availability, and level of irradiance (Knight & Frost 1991, Knight 1992, Guisande et al 2000, Richards 2001, Englund & Harms 2003, Manjarrés-Hernández et al 2006. In three aquatic Utricularia species with homogeneous, non-differentiated shoots (U. australis, U. gibba, U. refl exa) and in the epiphytic U. quelchii with carnivorous shoots living in the leaf water reservoirs of bromeliads, Porembski et al (2006) found the contribution of traps to the total plant biomass to be 11-20 % and 30 %, respectively.…”

Mineral cost of carnivory in aquatic carnivorous plants

“…In aquatic Utricularia species, the proportion of the total shoot biomass invested in traps (i.e., structural investment in carnivory) is considerable and can range from 10% to 62% in various species (Adamec, 2008a;Friday, 1992;Knight, 1992;Porembski et al, 2006). However, the plants are able to change the proportion of shoot biomass invested in traps according to habitat factors: particularly water chemistry, prey availability, and level of irradiance (Adamec, 2007(Adamec, , 2008aBern, 1997;Englund and Harms, 2003;Guisande et al, 2000Guisande et al, , 2004Knight and Frost, 1991;Knight, 1992;Manjarrés-Hernández et al, 2006;Richards, 2001).…”