Comment on "Plant diversity increases with the strength of negative density dependence at the global scale".

Chisholm, Ryan A; Fung, Tak · Science · 2018

editorial · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

LaManna <i>et al</i> (Reports, 30 June 2017, p. 1389) found higher conspecific negative density dependence in tree communities at lower latitudes, yielding a possible mechanistic explanation for the latitudinal diversity gradient. We show that their results are artifacts of a selective data transformation and a forced zero intercept in their fitted model. A corrected analysis shows no latitudinal trend.

Medical subject headings