Its a constant battle to stay

alive, to stay in the game, Dr.

Coley said.

Traditionally, ecologists
argued that all the species in
a tropical forest could coexist
through specialization to their
physical environment.
Nowadays Dr. Coley and
Dr. Kursar have a different
explanation. They study
how insects attack plants
and how plants defend
themselves. They say
that plants have evolved a
great variety of defenses.

Hordes of insects threaten the

survival of plants, which
respond with chemical warfare.
According to Phyllis D. Coley
and Thomas A. Kursar, the
result of it is the remarkable
biodiversity we see today.

A single tree may be home to

hundreds of species of insects,
which live by relentlessly devouring
its seeds, stems and leaves. Plants
have evolved a staggering variety
of defenses.

Some grow cups of nectar on

their leaves to attract sugarhungry ants, which also attack
insects feeding on the leaves.
Some plants defend themselves
The most
impressive
defenses
by sprouting
hairs.
in tropical plants are invisible,
however. A plant may pack each
of its leaves with hundreds of
kinds of insect poisons.

The insects that have adapted to

feeding on one species of plant may
be unable to get around the
defenses of another species
growing nearby.

Along with insect pests,

beneficial partners may also
help drive the diversity of
tropical plants. Many species,
for example, depend on
bacteria living in their roots to
supply them with nitrogen.
Just as each tropical plant may
fight certain pest species,
they may need certain species
of root bacteria.