Definition - Tropical dry forests grow in places where rainfall is highly seasonal rather than year round. During the dry season, nearly all the trees drop their leaves to conserve water. A tree that sheds its leaves during a particular season each year is called deciduous.
Abiotic Factors - Generally warm year round; alternating wet and dry seasons; rich soils subject to erosion.
Dominant plants - Tall, deciduous trees that form a dense canopy during the wet season; drought-tolerant orchids and bromeliads; aloes and other succulents.
Dominant wildlife - Tigers; monkeys; herbivores such as elephants, Indian rhinoceroses, hog deer; birds such as great pied hornbills, pied harriers, and spot-billed pelicans; insects such as termites; reptiles such as snakes and monitor lizards.
TROPICAL DRY FOREST
Definition - Tropical dry forests grow in places where rainfall is highly seasonal rather than year round. During the dry season, nearly all the trees drop their leaves to conserve water. A tree that sheds its leaves during a particular season each year is called deciduous.
Abiotic Factors - Generally warm year round; alternating wet and dry seasons; rich soils subject to erosion.
Dominant plants - Tall, deciduous trees that form a dense canopy during the wet season; drought-tolerant orchids and bromeliads; aloes and other succulents.
Dominant wildlife - Tigers; monkeys; herbivores such as elephants, Indian rhinoceroses, hog deer; birds such as great pied hornbills, pied harriers, and spot-billed pelicans; insects such as termites; reptiles such as snakes and monitor lizards.
Geographic distribution -