Hemiepiphytic figs kill their host trees: acquiring phosphorus is a driving factor

What is it about?

Hemiepiphytic figs killing their host trees is a unique ecological process in tropics. But the benefits and adaptive strategies of their special life history remain poorly understood. This study provides novel evidence that killing hosts benefits hemiepiphytic figs by reducing interspecific competition for P and better acquiring P-resources in the P-deficient tropics, thereby linking the life history strategy of hemiepiphytic figs to the widespread P-shortage in tropical soils. It also provides a new perspective for understanding the adaptive strategies of hemiepiphytes.

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