Most plants that are considered vegetables or flowers are in fact carnivorous plants. These plants will usually grow well in areas where there are small insects that prey on small animals. In the process of photosynthesis, these plants convert food into carbon dioxide and water which cause a release of gas known as CO2. In many cases, this gas is used up before the plant has a chance to get used up. But, in some cases the plant will take the excess CO2 as food and in turn will grow to form flowers or roots.
There are many different types of insects that plant prefer in their natural habitat. In order to understand what plants might need in order for them to grow and thrive you must learn about the life cycle of each insect. This means understanding how each type of insect reproduces as well as how each plant grows. One of the major differences between carnivorous plants and other plants is that they do not reproduce by simple having a male and female reproductive organ such as a penis and an ovary. Instead, in order to reproduce they have to have a structure known as a male part that contains sperm, which is carried to an egg.
The most common type of animal that plant eats is the insect. Insects are very important for plant life. Each plant has certain parts that are specialized for sucking in insects. One of the parts of a plant that is used by insects is called a leaf. If a plant has leaves, the more leafy it is the more insects it will attract.
Some insects that plant likes including aphids, thrips, arthropods and worms. Aphids are small insects with soft bodied bodies that feed off plant juices. They will also attach themselves to the lower portion of a plant leaf. On the other hand, the thrips are tiny plant creatures that have a hard body and long proboscis that can pierce plant skin. They have little wings that enable them to fly around.
Other insects that the plant might like to eat are the arthropods or the protozoa. These animals have hard exoskeletons that serve as mouth parts. They have mouthfuls of tiny barbs on their bodies that are used for piercing plant skin. Another insect that the plant might like to eat are the flies. These animals are tiny winged insects that have fine hair in their bodies. They can usually fly above plant leaves.
Plants are always looking for ways to feed off of other living things. Plants have small mouth parts that are used to suck in nutrients. Plants like the well rotted corn that has a white look to it because of the sulfur that is in the stalks of the corn. The phloem is the byproduct of this process.
Many plants have evolved to serve the needs of humans and other creatures in the ecosystem. Plants may grow towards light to produce food. Aphids, the small black beetles, get their food through the sap that the plant produces when it grows. They have sharp spines that enable them to pierce the plant skin and suck the plant juices. Earthworms also are a good snack because of the cellulose which they digest quite easily. The mites that live on the leaf surfaces are another type of snack for many animals and insects.
The actual process of feeding between carnivores and plants is an important aspect to understand about plant and animal life. We need to understand why plants favor certain insects over others. Understanding how plant life nourishes itself is an important part of being a good gardener and trying to keep our gardens healthy.