Which of the following patterns of tropical tree distribution offers support for the Janzen-Connell hypothesis?

Question

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The Janzen-Connell hypothesis proposes that specialized natural enemies (such as herbivores, pathogens, and seed predators) will exert greater pressure on the offspring of parent trees, thereby reducing their survival and recruitment near conspecific adults. This leads to a pattern of distance-dependent mortality, where seedlings and saplings of a given species are more likely to establish and survive farther away from adults of the same species. Therefore, option C, where individuals of rare species appear farther apart from others of the same species than expected by chance, supports the Janzen-Connell hypothesis. Options A and B do not support the hypothesis because they do not show distance-dependent mortality patterns or a significant effect of specialized natural enemies. Option D is also incorrect because individuals of common species should experience relatively high mortality rates near adult conspecifics, which would result in a more clumped distribution of young individuals than expected by chance.

Which of the Following Patterns of Tropical Tree Distribution Offers