Home Science Pests and the plant defenses against them drive diversity in tropical rainforests

Pests and the plant defenses against them drive diversity in tropical rainforests

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Researchers have been baffled by tropical rainforest diversity for over a century; 650 different tree species can exist in an area covering two football fields, yet similar species never grow next to each other. It seems like it’s good to be different than your neighbors, but why?