Sarracenia purpurea: effects of pitcher leaf size, density, and coloration on species richness and mass of organic material found inside

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to examine the relationships between morphological characteristics of pitcher leaves and the amount and types of organic material inside of them. At Bryant Bog, in Pellston, MI, we located 40 pitcher plants and randomly sampled one pitcher leaf from each. We measured the pitcher size (length, mouth diameter, keel width), recorded the color, and collected all of the decaying organic material inside of it. Under a microscope, we identified whole macroscopic invertebrates in each of the samples. We filtered the contents, and dried them in an oven. We then calculated the dry mass of the material inside of the pitcher. We discovered that species richness was positively correlated with both pitcher density and mouth diameter. Mouth diameter was also positively correlated with the mass of the organic material inside of the pitcher. Color was not found to be correlated with biomass or species richness. Like other carnivorous plants, Sarracenia purpurea attracts potential prey with morphological characteristics such as size and leaf density.