Co-limitation towards lower latitudes shapes global forest diversity gradients

species richness declined from the equator to 25° S on average by 3 species per ha per 1° increase in latitude, after which tree species richness fluctuated before another steep drop from 25 species per ha (43° S) to 4 species per ha (50° S). We were able to detect and map regional patterns and global peaks of tree species diversity, with a high spatial resolution (0.025° × 0.025°). The Amazonian, Southeast Asian and Melanesian rainforests are the regions with the greatest local tree species richness worldwide, containing > 200 tree species per ha above the 5 cm diameter-at-breast-height (DBH) threshold, confirming previous findings 17,18 . Tropical African rainforests generally contain 50% fewer tree species per hectare than Amazonian rainforests. In the temperate forests of the Northern Hemisphere, the Changbai Mountains in Northeast Asia (up to ~28 species per ha) and the

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