• The mineral nutrition of terrestrial carnivorous plants was investigated under glasshouse conditions to elucidate ecophysiological adaptations of this plant group. • In Drosera capillaris and D. capensis, absorption of N, P, K, and Mg from insects was relatively efficient (> 43%), whereas that of Ca was not. Carnivorous plants (D. capensis, D. peltata, D. scorpioides, and Dionaea muscipula) exhibited a high efficiency of re-utilization of N (70-82%), P (51-92%), and K (41-99%) from senescing leaves. Re-utilization of Mg was low or negative, and that of Ca highly negative. • In a growth experiment, foliar nutrient supply led to markedly increased growth and nutrient accumulation in D. capillaris, D. aliciae, and D. spathulata. In all the three species tested it was demonstrated that leaf-supplied nutrients were accumulated in the plant biomass and even stimulated root nutrient uptake. • These results suggest that the main physiological effect of leaf nutrient absorption from prey is a stimulation of root nutrient uptake.

Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Section of Plant Ecology Dukelská 135 CZ 379 82 Třeboň Czech Republic

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Adamec L. 1997a. Mineral nutrition of carnivorous plants: A review. Botanical Review 63: 273-299.

Adamec L. 1997b. Photosynthetic characteristics of the aquatic carnivorous plant Aldrovanda vesiculosa. Aquatic Botany 59: 297-306.

Adamec L, Dušáková K, Jonáčková M. 1992. Growth effects of mineral nutrients applied to the substrate or onto the leaves in four carnivorous plant species. Carnivorous Plant Newsletter 21: 18-24.

Aerts R, Verhoeven JTA, Whigham DF. 1999. Plant-mediated controls on nutrient cycling in temperate fens and bogs. Ecology 80: 2170-2181.

Aldenius J, Carlsson B, Karlsson S. 1983. Effects of insect trapping on growth and nutrient content of Pinguicula vulgaris L. in relation to the nutrient content of the substrate. New Phytologist 93: 53-59.

Chapin FS III, Shaver GR. 1989. Differences in growth and nutrient use among arctic plant growth forms. Functional Ecology 3: 73-80.

Dixon KW, Pate JS, Bailey WJ. 1980. Nitrogen nutrition of the tuberous sundew Drosera erythrorhiza Lindl. with species reference to catch of arthropod fauna by its glandular leaves. Australian Journal of Botany 28: 283-297.

Hanslin HM, Karlsson PS. 1996. Nitrogen uptake from prey and substrate as affected by prey capture level and plant reproductive status in four carnivorous plant species. Oecologia 106: 370-375.

Juniper BR, Robins RJ, Joel DM. 1989. Carnivorous plants. London, UK: Academic Press.

Karlsson PS. 1988. Seasonal patterns of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium utilization by three Pinguicula species. Functional Ecology 2: 203-209.

Karlsson PS, Carlsson B. 1984. Why does Pinguicula vulgaris L. trap insects? New Phytologist 97: 25-30.

Karlsson PS, Nordell KO, Eirefelt S, Svensson A. 1987. Trapping efficiency of three carnivorous Pinguicula species. Oecologia 73: 518-521.

Karlsson PS, Svensson BM, Carlsson BÅ. 1996. The significance of carnivory for three Pinguicula species in a subarctic environment. Ecological Bulletins 45: 115-120.

Karlsson PS, Thorén LM, Hanslin HM. 1994. Prey capture by three Pinguicula species in a subarctic environment. Oecologia 99: 188-193.

Lüttge U. 1983. Ecophysiology of carnivorous plants. In: Lange OL, Nobel PS, Osmond CB, Ziegler H, eds. Encyclopedia of plant physiology. New Series, Vol. 12C. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag, 489-517.

Marschner H. 1995. Mineral nutrition of higher plants. London, UK: Academic Press.

Oosterhuis J. 1927. Over de invloed van insectenvoeding op Drosera. PhD thesis, University of Groningen, The Netherlands.

Osaki M, Shinano T, Matsumoto M, Zheng TG, Tadano T. 1997. A root-shoot interaction hypothesis for high productivity of field crops. Soil Science and Plant Nutrition 43: 1079-1084.

Pate JS, Dixon KW. 1978. Mineral nutrition of Drosera erythrorhiza Lindl. with special reference to its tuberous habit. Australian Journal of Botany 26: 455-464.

Rost K, Schauer R. 1977. Physical and chemical properties of the mucin secreted by Drosera capensis. Phytochemistry 16: 1365-1368.

Ruzicka J, Hansen EH. 1981. Flow injection analysis. New York, USA: J. Wiley & Sons.

Small E. 1972. Photosynthetic rates in relation to nitrogen recycling as an adaptation to nutrient deficiency in peat bog plants. Canadian Journal of Botany 50: 2227-2233.

Thum M. 1988. The significance of carnivory for the fitness of Drosera in its natural habitat. 1. The reactions of Drosera intermedia and D. rotundifolia to supplementary feeding. Oecologia 75: 472-480.

Watson AP, Matthiessen JN, Springett BP. 1982. Arthropod associates and macronutrient status of the red-ind sundew (Drosera erythrorhiza Lindl.). Australian Journal of Ecology 7: 13-22.

Wolf B. 1982. An improved universal extracting solution and its use for diagnosing in soil fertility. Communications of Soil Scientific Plant Analytics 13: 1005-1033.

Zamora R, Gómez JM, Hódar JA. 1997. Responses of a carnivorous plant to prey and inorganic nutrients in a Mediterranean environment. Oecologia 111: 443-451.

Recent ecophysiological, biochemical and evolutional insights into plant carnivory

Biochemical and mesophyll diffusional limits to photosynthesis are determined by prey and root nutrient uptake in the carnivorous pitcher plant Nepenthes × ventrata

Resting electrical network activity in traps of the aquatic carnivorous plants of the genera Aldrovanda and Utricularia

A novel insight into the cost-benefit model for the evolution of botanical carnivory

Feeding on prey increases photosynthetic efficiency in the carnivorous sundew Drosera capensis

Foliar mineral nutrient uptake in carnivorous plants: what do we know and what should we know?

Oxygen concentrations inside the traps of the carnivorous plants Utricularia and Genlisea (Lentibulariaceae)