Ironicle (Cont'd)

After further research, I have come to discover that the carnivorous plants need to feed on insects. The basic reason being that they do not get enough nitrate from the soil itself because it lacks the necessary enzymes. (more specifically: nitrate redctase) Each carnivorous plant ingests different amounts of nitrate based on how much they need to photosynthesis. The fact that the plants use their leaves to capture their prey as well means that they use up some of the nitrate for "upkeep" as well as growth.

Now, this doesn't really answer the question completely. Yes, the plants need to be carnivorous to survive in the harsh environments they are in, but who put them there? Why have them there to begin with? The question remains.

It seems like there will be no satisfying answer to the "Why" asked on creations. We must be satisfied with the fact that we simply do not know. However, there is always something to be learned from any inspection for deeper meaning.

To venture a guess:
If the plants do not eat the bugs, they will die. They can look at the plants around them and hope to be just like them, but they were given different qualities. The carnivorous plants were put in unique situations where what works for the average plant, does not work for them. On the contrary, they must utilize any abilities they have in order to survive. They cannot "relax" within their environment or they will perish.

So too our lives. Every one of us is placed into our unique environment. The parents we have, the siblings, friends, challenges are all specifically designed for us individually. This means that we cannot compare ourselves to those around us and rely on other methods of success in order to achieve ours. Rather, we must each look at our situation, look at our strengths and weaknesses and figure out how best to handle the challenges that make us who we are. How we gain from the nutrients of life are left up to our own devices but they remain within a higher framework of demand. Everything we do contains the potential to fulfill a higher purpose, and that is what makes the struggles in life worth accepting and overcoming.

Note: Don't eat flies, it won't help too much.


Information taken from:
Hanslin HM, Karlsson PS (1996). "Nitrogen uptake from prey and substrate as affected by prey capture level and plant reproductive status in four carnivorous plant species". Oecologia 106: 370-375.