Intra- and interspecific competition for light and nutrients in the pale pitcher plant

What maintains plant species diversity in nutrient-poor ecosystems? I tested the hypothesis that competition between the pale pitcher plant and neighboring plants in a wet pine savanna would be greater with conspecific neighbors than with heterospecific neighbors because of interspecific shade avoidance. Small pitcher plants benefited from shade reduction from conspecific neighbors. Large transplants benefitted from excluding prey from conspecific neighbors. Both small and large pitcher plants appeared to avoid shade from heterospecific neighbors. Intraspecific competition for light and nutrients and interspecific shade avoidance may promote coexistence of pitcher plants and noncarnivorous plants in this nutrient-poor system.