Distance affects the Survival Rates of Rare Species in Tropical Forests

Here is a fascinating piece of information from the tropical forests. Seedlings of rare species do better when they grow farther from members of their own species. The finding is the result of research done by Liza Comita, an ecologist at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis in Santa Barbara, California.

When Seedlings were planted at varying distances from an adult tree, the more distant ones are more likely to survive. Comita looked at 30,000 seedlings of 180 tree species in a 50-hectare, long-term plot on Barro Colorado Island in Panama. Komita found that seedlings were more likely to survive if they were farther away from adults or other seedlings of the same species. 

Seedlings of common species did not seem to be affected when they are close together. This could be the reason why they are more common. The hypothesis is that the farther a seedling is from members of its own species, the better its chance of avoiding enemies like viruses, leaf-eating insects. Further experiments are on to find out whether common species are more resistant to diseases and insects.