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Harvard Forest Research Project 2023
- Title: Environmental effects on nutrient processing in Sarracenia purpurea
- Principal investigator: Richard Wong (richard.j.wong@duke.edu)
- Institution: Duke University
- Primary contact: Richard Wong (richard.j.wong@duke.edu)
- Team members:
- Abstract:
This project aims to investigate effects of mean annual temperature, mean temperature of the warmest quarter, mean annual precipitation, etc. have on nutrient processing in the Sarracenia purpurea system over a large environmental/latitudinal gradient. By comparing S. purpurea pitchers and non-carnivorous leaves for N, and P content, I can extrapolate the nutrients that are derived from prey. I can also measure ammonia content, number of mutualistic invertebrates, and enzyme activity in the pitcher fluid from different sites to understand how the environment affects the breakdown of prey. I expect temperature to affect the digestion method of S. purpurea by having a positive relationship with N mineralizing enzymes and a negative relationship with P mineralizing enzymes. Higher temperatures will also likely lead to higher N and P content in the leaves.
