Clay Wall with Pitcher-Plants

This photo was taken high-up on a clay and sand embankment over-looking the South China Sea. Pitcher-Plants can be seen dangling over the water carved clay wall on the left-hand side of the image. These very tough plants grow in very poor soil and they gather the nutrients they need by capturing insects in their fluid filled pitchers. The insects drown and their nutrients are absorbed by the plant. The drawback of pitcher-plants is that they support the full cycle of mosquitoes that thrive in the liquid environment of the plant's modified leaf containers. The plants benefit from the biological activities of the mosquitoes.