Why are many strongly scented plants found in tropical regions?

Many strongly scented plants are found in tropical regions primarily because these areas receive the greatest amount of solar energy, which facilitates the production and evaporation of essential oils.1

While the exact function of these volatile substances is not fully understood, they serve several critical roles in tropical ecosystems:

• Pollination: Strong odors act as attractants for specific insects, aiding in natural selection and ensuring reproductive success. In the tropical rainforest, many plants evolved to rely on insect pollinators, using scents—sometimes mimicking carrion or fruit—to draw them in.123
• Defense: Essential oils in leaves, wood, and roots may protect plants against parasites and herbivory by animals. Tropical vegetation faces constant pressure from a wide variety of insects and mammals, leading plants to develop sophisticated chemical defenses, including aromatic terpenes, to deter these threats.14

Ultimately, these scents are the result of complex evolutionary interactions between plants and their environment, where high solar intensity supports the synthesis of these volatile compounds.1