Assessing the effects of pH on Venus flytrap performance (2024)

Undergraduates: Emily Eldridge, Jeremy Lamb, Connor Blevins, John Carter

Faculty Advisor: Christopher Willett
Department: UNC Biology (BIOL 255H)

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The Carolina coastal plain habitat of the Dionaea muscipula, better known as the Venus_x000D_
flytrap, faces many environmental threats such as agricultural runoff which is known to_x000D_
alter soil pH. We propose a relationship between soil pH and Venus flytrap snap trap_x000D_
performance, in which traps kept in acidic or basic solutions have a greater activation_x000D_
delay* and decreased closure speeds** than those kept in neutral conditions. Our results_x000D_
indicate a link between soil acidification and the ability for D. muscipula to survive._x000D_
*Activation delay: time between first probing and initiation of snap trap closure_x000D_
**Closure speed: time between initiation of snap trap closure and cessation of movement