Blog Post Image: Mutual benefits: Stressed-out trees boost sugary rewards to ant defenders

Ecuador laurel trees in the wet season (left) and dry season. Azteca ants are visible on the upper leaves in the photo on the left. The trees grow new leaves each rainy season, and those leaves produce the tree’s carbon-based food. In tropical forests where water is scarce, laurel trees make less carbon and pay ants more to protect their leaves. Image credit: Elizabeth G. Pringle