When you look at a tropical rainforest, the landscape is usually dominated by shades of green and brown. But every now and then, the trees erupt into flower all at once, festooning the forest canopy with garlands of red, pink and white. Theories abound over which environmental cues trigger the trees to begin their reproductive cycles simultaneously. Drought and low temperatures appear to be key factors in Southeast Asia, where synchronous flowering, or masting, events take place at sporadic intervals that are often years apart. However, very little is known about how climate change will impact…