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Environment
Marco Túlio Pacheco Coelho, Postdoctoral research associate, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL)

Tropical climates are the most biodiverse on Earth − but it's not only because of how warm and wet they are

Natural selection can get to work in isolated locations. Birger Strahl/Unsplash, CC BY

Life exists in every conceivable environment on Earth, from the peaks of towering mountains to the remote stretches of isolated islands, from sunlit surfaces to the darkest depths of the oceans. Yet, this intricate tapestry of existence isn’t spread uniformly.

For centuries, scientists have marveled at the extraordinary variety of species exhibited in tropical regions. The breathtaking biodiversity of the Amazon rainforest, the teeming life in Madagascar’s unique ecosystems, the species-rich cloud forests of Costa Rica – the tropics showcase nature’s opulence.

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