Could Climate Change Mean Saying Goodbye to Sarracenia purpurea in Alberta, Canada?

Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea

A small number of Sarracenia purpurea ssp. purpurea individuals live in the boreal forests of Alberta, Canada. These individuals are few and far in number. (As of 2001, only five populations were known). Research by the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute's Biodiversity Management and Climate Change Adaptation Project indicates that climate change may result in the extinction of these populations.

Interestingly, the reason for extinction was not necessarily the drying the climate, as with Pinguicula macroceras in Montana, but because of its "poor [seed] dispersal ability." The median observed seed dispersal for S. purpurea was only five centimeters, far less than would be needed for the plants to colonize new areas as the changing climate altered the water patterns of the landscape. As a consequence, S. purpurea is the most threatened species of the project.

Curiously, the report does note that "Reid's Paradox" appeared to be at play with Sarracenia purpurea. Reid's Paradox notes that, during the last glacial recession, trees (and other plants) expanded their range more rapidly than could be explained by their natural dispersal mechanisms. (In other words, the median seed dispersal range was far greater than normal). So, it may turn out that S. purpurea will continue to survive Alberta's harsh climate far into the future, but, right now, it's not clear whether that will be the case.