Nature Selects for Diversity in Rainforests
Series: January 2007 - Isla Earth Radio Series
From: Pat Maxwell
Length: 00:01:30
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- Nature Selects for Diversity in Rainforests
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- Pat Maxwell
The old saying that "time heals all wounds" may apply to damaged rainforests.
Scientists studied seven plots of rainforest in Borneo, Malaysia, India, Puerto Rico, Panama, and Thailand. They took a complete census of all the trees in each forest plot. And then, they closely monitored the trees. The monitoring allowed them to see what happened to the trees from one census to the next.
They discovered that as the trees matured, rare species out-survived common species in all seven rainforest plots. Christopher Wills, a professor of biology at the University of California, San Diego, says the study demonstrates that nature encourages diversity by selecting for less common trees as the trees mature.
This National Science Foundation-funded study has led researchers to wonder whether other ecosystems also select for diversity. Rainforests are home to about half the plant and animal species on Earth today. But rainforests have been severely diminished and damaged by logging and agriculture. The study showed that slightly damaged forests can regain lost diversity through natural processes - so long as they're given time to heal.
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Related Pieces
Piece Description
The old saying that "time heals all wounds" may apply to damaged rainforests. Scientists studied seven plots of rainforest in Borneo, Malaysia, India, Puerto Rico, Panama, and Thailand. They took a complete census of all the trees in each forest plot. And then, they closely monitored the trees. The monitoring allowed them to see what happened to the trees from one census to the next. They discovered that as the trees matured, rare species out-survived common species in all seven rainforest plots. Christopher Wills, a professor of biology at the University of California, San Diego, says the study demonstrates that nature encourages diversity by selecting for less common trees as the trees mature. This National Science Foundation-funded study has led researchers to wonder whether other ecosystems also select for diversity. Rainforests are home to about half the plant and animal species on Earth today. But rainforests have been severely diminished and damaged by logging and agriculture. The study showed that slightly damaged forests can regain lost diversity through natural processes - so long as they're given time to heal.
