Health & Wellness
Butterwort © Gert-Jan van Vliet
N O R T H W E S T C O A S T N AT U R E Carnivorous Plants of the Eastern Vancouver Island LU NA LOISEAU -T R EM B LAY WHILE MANY OF US emerged from the dark, wet
mostly on rainwater, in which nutrient and pH values
months of winter into what was supposed to finally be
are low. The chemistry of a wetland is intricate and
a sunny spring, this year has turned out to be one of the
detailed. Basically, a low pH value means the bog is
wettest in a long time. Without a greenhouse, planting
acidic and it is dominated by Sphagnum spp. while in
basil, tomatoes and squash in these cool temperatures
a fen, the presence of calcium carbonate buffers the
is proving to be a faraway dream. However, the natural
acidity and it is dominated by sedges. In each of these
environment around us is benefiting heavily from the
bog and fen categories, there are different parameters,
big rains of spring, such as the various types of wet-
such as plant species present, water chemistry, eleva-
land ecosystems throughout Eastern Vancouver Island
tion, availability of nutrients etc. that further separates
and the surrounding Islands.
the categories. While the dynamics and interaction of plant species present in and around these low nutrient
My personal favorite wetland type has always been
bogs are intricate, fascinating, and unique, one group,
a peatland, full of plants that are adapted to nutrient
the carnivorous plants, never ceases to amaze.
poor conditions. As described in the book Wetland Plants by Julie K. Cronk and M. Siobhan Fennessy
On Eastern Vancouver Island, we have at least five
(2001), peatlands are classified into two main types,
species of carnivorous plants which can be found in
depending on the source of water: Fens, which are
various wetland ecosystems, one of which was only
fed by groundwater, have a high calcium concentra-
discovered a short time ago as getting some of its nu-
tion and the pH is usually high; and Bogs, which rely
trients from insects. There are six plant families which
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