How do lianas and vines influence competitive differences and niche differences among tree species? Concepts and a case study in a tropical forest

Lianas and other climbing plants are structural parasites of trees, generally reducing host tree survival, growth, and reproduction, yet their influences on the outcome of competition among tree species have remained largely unexplored. We propose that there are three distinct components to liana–tree interactions: prevalence , defined as the proportion of infested trees; load , defined as the mean liana cover on infested trees; and tolerance ,...