Pattern found in world’s rainforests where 2% of species make up 50% of trees

The Sanaga River and rainforest in Cameroon. African rainforests have fewer species but their diversity mirrors that of the Amazon and Asian forests. Photograph: Westend61 GmbH/Alamy

Just 2% of rainforest tree species account for 50% of the trees found in tropical forests across Africa, the Amazon and south-east Asia, a new study has found.

Mirroring patterns found elsewhere in the natural world, researchers have discovered that a few tree species dominate the world’s major rainforests, with thousands of rare species making up the rest.