Presenter: Brittany Bugg
Authors: Brittany Bugg
Faculty Advisor: Michael Rotter
Institution: Utah Valley University
The world has seemingly always been curious about carnivorous plants. They have been the subject of horror movies, video games, comics, etc. However, carnivorous plants are more than just legend, they provide a rare bridge between flora and fauna. Darwin once referred to them as ‘the most wonderful plants in the world’, and out of the 20 genera consisting of 583 species of carnivorous plants, Utah is fortunate enough to have one of those genera consisting of three species. This genera is known asUtricularia, or more commonly known as the bladderworts. Bladderworts live in shallow, still bodies of water ranging from small pools in a wetland to slow moving lakes and ponds. But under the water, they have an extensive network of stem-like structures with “bladders” attached that range in size from one to three millimeters in size and are what captures their prey, a variety of zooplankton. Strangely, not much is known about these plants' lives in Utah. Due to inconsistent records and sporadic sampling over the last 150 years, little is known about the bladderwort’s ideal habitat. Analyzing morphology and anatomy will give further insight into bladderworts’ potential for physical adaptability in the face of environmental changes. The purpose of this research is to develop a thorough profile defining the habitat characteristics of Utah’s only carnivorous plant in order to more accurately predict its location in the state and be used to consult in education materials and in future decisions on said habitats in hopes of conservation.Methods of this research include the use of herbarium specimen databases documented from the state of Utah to measure and analyze physical characteristics and the use of data from previously recorded sightings/collected specimens to find their locations and gather information on the habitats in Utah.