High biodiversity tropical forest, like this one at the Smithsonian research station on Barro Colorado Island in Panama, may be the result of a struggle between plants and their diseases. By proposing that the degree of genetic relationship between plant community members affects the outcome of disease outbreaks, Parker et. al. come one step closer to a model that predicts disease outcomes. (Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute)
Plant biodiversity
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute