Carnivorous Plants of the Croatan National Forest

The idea of plants that eat animals has always been hard to fathom. Variously hyped as

"flesh-eating", "weird and wonderful carnivores", and "beautiful murderers", these

plants are simply highly specialized at surviving in nutrient poor habitats. They are also

under threat from rampant development and climate change. Although considered

exotic by many, there are, in fact, as many as 17 species believed to be found in and

around the Croatan National Forest. Ralph Tramontano shares a presentation of these beautiful plants, their habitat needs and conservation requirments.

Ralph's stunningly beautiful photographs in this PowerPoint presentation showcases the Trumpet Pitcher plant, Venus Flytrap, Spoonleaf Sundews and Bladderworts. These carnivorous plants capture and kill their prey in specialized traps - snap traps, sticky traps, suction traps, pitfall traps and snare traps.

Carnivorous plants are found in high light, waterlogged, nutrient poor soil between pocosin bogs and pine savannas. Pocosin bogs are a type of wetland, specifically freshwater, evergreen shrub-dominated wetlands found on the southeastern coastal plains. Pine savannas are unique ecosystems dominated by widely spaced pine trees and a diverse understory of grasses and shrubs.

Ralph Tramontano has a B.S. in Biology/Ecology and M.S. in Animal Ecology from Lund

University, Sweden, and has worked for the Geological Survey, Fish and Wildlife Service,

and National Park Service before settling down in Morehead City in 2006. Currently

serving as outing chair, Ralph has been an active member of the Sierra Club's local

Croatan Group, and leads many outings in the Croatan NF. He has been an active

participant and is leader of the Croatan Group's annual Carnivorous Plants Excursions.

A question and answer session follows this unique presentation.