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Habitat ecology and trap-content composition of the endemic terrestrial bladderwort Utricularia sainthomia (Lentibulariaceae) from the lateritic plateaus of northern Kerala, India
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DOI：10.1007/s11104-026-08972-z.png)
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Abstract
En 中文
Carnivorous plants supplement nutrient acquisition by capturing organisms in specialised traps, enabling survival in nutrient-poor environments. Although the genus Utricularia exhibits remarkable ecological diversity, the ecology of many narrowly endemic terrestrial species remains poorly understood. Utricularia sainthomia, a terrestrial bladderwort endemic to the lateritic plateaus of northern Kerala, India, has not previously been investigated under natural field conditions. This study aimed to characterise its habitat, document the composition of organisms occurring within its traps, and assess variation in habitat characteristics and trap contents among natural populations. Four natural populations were investigated during two consecutive growing seasons. Physicochemical properties of soil and water were monitored, environmental variation among populations was explored using Principal Component Analysis, and trap contents were examined from 200 mature bladders. The diversity of organisms associated with trap contents was evaluated using Shannon’s diversity index and Pielou’s evenness. Utricularia sainthomia was consistently associated with shallow, seasonally inundated wetlands characterised by acidic, low-conductivity, loamy sand substrates. Environmental variation among populations was driven primarily by differences in soil macronutrient concentrations. Of the 200 traps examined, 166 (83%) contained organisms. Trap contents comprised diverse assemblages of crustaceans, rotifers, insect larvae and algae, with harpacticoid copepods and ostracods representing the dominant groups. Diversity and composition of trap contents varied among populations, reflecting spatial variation in organisms associated with the traps. This study provides the first comprehensive ecological characterisation of Utricularia sainthomia and establishes an ecological baseline for an endemic terrestrial bladderwort of northern Kerala. The results demonstrate substantial environmental heterogeneity among populations and reveal considerable variation in trap-content composition under natural field conditions. The study provides a robust foundation for future functional, ecological and conservation studies of terrestrial Utricularia.
Keywords:
Bladderworts
Carnivorous plant
India
Kerala
Nutrients
Prey capture
Suction trap
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