The yellow pitcher plant (Sarracenia alata) is a carnivorous plant found in wet pine savannas. The soils in these regions are highly acidic and have very low concentrations of essential inorganic nutrients. To compensate, the pitcher plant has modified pitcher-shaped leaves that trap and digest insect prey.
Describe how you could estimate the population size of yellow pitcher plants in a defined area of a wet pine savanna.
Suggest and explain how digesting insects helps the pitcher plant to grow in soil with very low nutrient concentrations.
21 exam-style questions on AQA A Level Biology Investigating diversity. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.