Tropical trees deter similar neighbors
Published on August 7, 2023
Tropical forests host an unusually high diversity of tree species. Strong interactions between individuals are hypothesized to create these patterns. A tree is more likely to survive when surrounded by different tree species with different resource needs, diseases, and herbivores. Kalyuzhny et al. found patterns consistent with this mechanism in a long-term forest plot in Panama. Adult trees in this site are more distant from members of their own species than from other species and more distant than would be expected by chance or by the limits of seed dispersal. This study shows that distances between conspecifics are maintained in adult trees, helping to explain the high diversity of tropical forests.