Christian Stiyer, “Examining Nutrient Ratios and Nitrogen Uptake Using Stable Isotope Labelling in the Carnivorous Plant, Sarracenia purpurea”
Mentor: Erica Young, Biological Sciences
Poster #171
Sarracenia purpurea is a carnivorous plant that inhabits low nutrient wetland environments. Pitcher plants utilize specially developed leaves to capture insect prey which are degraded by a microbial community, releasing nutrients to the host plant. This project had two key aims: 1. to examine variation in nutrient content and ratios over the North American distribution of the plant from Florida to Quebec, and 2. to determine if nitrogen taken up by the roots can be utilized by the plants or the microbial community. Dried pitchers from 144 plants across 10 sites were dried and ground then duplicate samples were analyzed with a CHN elemental analyzer and combined with P content data determined previously. This data served as a baseline for C and N content for a greenhouse experiment examining N uptake using 15N-labeled NH4NO3. 8 plants collected from the Cedarburg Bog were potted in silica perlite substrate and acclimated to greenhouse conditions. Over 6 weeks, the labelled N solution with other nutrients was applied weekly to the roots of 4 plants and 4 control plants received water. Each experimental pitcher received a standardized microbial community. Plant material and microbial samples were collected regularly over the 6 weeks and analyzed utilizing a mass-spectrometer to compare control and N addition plants. The nutrient ratios were also compared with those from field plants. The microbial community will be analyzed for bacterial composition. Stable isotopes provide tracers for examining nutrient cycling in plants and their microbiomes.