Get latest articles and stories on Science at LatestLY. Oceanic islands can be used as models for ecology, biogeography, and evolutionary studies. Many groundbreaking discoveries, including Darwin's theory of evolution, have resulted from the study of island species and their interactions with their living and non-living environments. An international research team led by the University of Göttingen has now investigated the flora of Tenerife, a Canary Island. The results were unexpected: the island's plant life has a remarkable variety of forms. In terms of functionality, the plants differ little from mainland plants. However, unlike the mainland's flora, Tenerife's flora is dominated by slow-growing, woody shrubs with a "low-risk" life strategy. Nature published the findings. Science News | Plant Worlds in Remote Locations.