Last week, USFWS and TNC teamed up to do survey green pitcher plants (Sarracenia oreophila) at the only remaining Low Mountain Seepage Bogs in western North Carolina. We’ve been observing population trends for this species since TNC acquired the site in the late 1980’s and started a controlled burning interval of once every 2-3 years. So many other cool plants that live at this site! As with many of TNC’s preserves, the site also serves as a research laboratory where we can test, learn, adapt and share with others. Here, we continue to learn more about the interrelationships of fire, pitcher plant productivity, and hydrology-drought.
Enjoy these photos taken recently at this as well as another Sarracenia oreophila site:
Bog Learning Network 
Just as an FYI for those not familiar with the site – due to the limited number of folks on-hand, we only counted 3 transects, and those didn’t include some of the areas of highest pitcher plant concentration. So the overall numbers for the site are considerably higher than the total of the transects shown in the charts…
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Yes, to clarify, not all the pitchers were counted – only the ones in 3 transects that will be monitored for the long-term. That was an intentional decision made with USFWS prior to that day. We are now adding in total flower count for the whole site in place of number of total pitchers, due to the fact that we have so many pitchers! Counting all pitchers is a bonus.
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2147 total pitcher flowers!!!
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