Why is it so hard to detect species interactions?

The western coast of Sonora, México is populated by a fascinating mixture of desert and dry forest species. Here the organ-pipe cactus (Stenocereus thurberi) rises over a landscape dominated by Bursera, Ruellia, Jatropha, and a range of other common shrubs. Do any of these species care about each other? Do they co-occur entirely by chance,…