Additionally, all the liana vines that covered the D. oleifera perished. The impacted tree, however, was practically unscathed, standing tall and healthy with its direct competitors removed.

The liana is an opportunistic plant, a vine that, in the right conditions, can smother a tree as it hitches a ride up to the top of the forest canopy. It’s estimated that 250 million hectares of ...

When a tree falls in the forest, lianas hear an opportunity. Figuratively, at least. These long-stemmed woody vines hitch a ride to the canopy by climbing up trees, rather than investing in their ...