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Dryad

Data from: Effects of arthropod inquilines on growth and reproductive effort among metacommunities of the purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea var. montana)

Cite this dataset

Hale, Rebecca; Powell, Elise; Beikmohamadi, Leila; Alexander, Mara (2020). Data from: Effects of arthropod inquilines on growth and reproductive effort among metacommunities of the purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea var. montana) [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.866t1g1mk

Abstract

Many plant species harbor communities of symbionts that release nutrients used by their host plants. However, the importance of these nutrients to plant growth and reproductive effort is not well understood. Here, we evaluate the relationship between the communities that colonize pitcher plant phytotelmata and the pitcher plants’ vegetative growth and flower production to better understand the symbiotic role played by phytotelma communities. We focus on the mountain variety purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea var. montana), which occurs in small and isolated populations in Western North Carolina. We found that greater symbiont community diversity is associated with higher flower production the following season. We then examined geographic variation in communities and found that smaller plant populations supported less diverse symbiont communities. We relate our observations to patterns of community diversity predicted by community ecology theory.

Usage notes

Data set related to arthropod communities living in pitchers of Sarracenia purpurea var. montana in eight populations in Western North Carolina, USA. Data collected in 2015-2016.

Funding

United States Fish and Wildlife Service

University of North Carolina Asheville Undergraduate Research Program

University of North Carolina Asheville Undergraduate Research Program