How do trees/ plants protect themselves from vines that strangle?

Question

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Answer 1

Great question. Here are some mechanisms (personally, I think being guarded by ants is the coolest one):

Lianas are a huge problem for rainforest trees, and numerous species have developed means of discouraging their growth. Many palm and tree ferns regularly drop fronds, while other trees may lose limbs to rid themselves of lianas. Francis Putz, who studied Panamanian lianas, suggested it may be advantageous for trees to sway out of phase from their neighbors because this would tend to snap vine connections and kink lianas, cutting off transport systems. Some lianas have adapted to this mechanism by coiling and bending so they are spring-like and better able to absorb the shock.

A team of Stanford researchers found that Cedrela odorata, a species of cedar tree, is aggressively protected by ants (Myrmelachista schumanni) that clear all vegetation from the area surrounding the plant. So effective is the vegetation control around these trees that locals believe evil forest spirits are responsible for the clearings, called "Devil's gardens." The researchers determined that ants, not supernatural beings, kill surrounding plants by injecting a toxin called formic acid into the leaves. A single ant colony with as many as 3 million workers and 15,000 queens may tend a typical garden, which can be older than 800 years, according to calculations by the researchers.

Many tree species have mechanisms and strategies to prevent burdensome epiphytes, which can add so much weight (especially when full of water after a rainstorm) that they topple the tree. The "naked Indian" or gumbo limbo tree [Bursera simaruba] of South America and the krystonia tree of Southeast Asia are among several species of tree that have peeling bark that prevents epiphytes and creepers from getting a hold or finding a suitable place to start growth. Other species produce toxins in their bark to ward off infestation by pests and to discourage the growth of epiphytes and lianas.

From: http://rainforests.mongabay.com/0406.htm