Tropical Dry Forest

K. Wettstein





























































Temperature
Temperatures are high all year: the average
temperature is above 24C
Because of its proximity to the coast, fluctuations in
annual temperatures are only 10-15 C
Frost and temperatures below freezing are rare
Temps. have been recorded as low as 3C and as high
as 31C
The air changes from moist due to inter-tropical region
mixtures in the summer to the dry air because of a
subtropical weather front during the winter

Imperative Information
Solar Isolation
Seasonal alternation
A well defined dry season, but a short wet season in
comparison to a tropical rain forest
The dry season typically lasts from June through August
Precipitation
The dry season is far longer than the brief period of
rainfall
There is no set amount of rain, it depends on the area
Annual rainfall is anywhere from 10-20 cm to 1000
1500 cm per year depending on the specific tropical dry
forest
There is decreasing summer precipitation


Limiting Factors
Its well defined dry season limits plant growth and the
activity of animals
A large soil-water shortage occurs, especially severe
during the hottest time prior to the rains
Species Diversity
Plant Life
Most of the trees and shrubs found in this
type of habitat are deciduous, losing their
leaves at beginning of the dry season
Leaves shed in dry season to conserve
soil moisture.
Up to 40 tree species in small forests
Dry forests consist of trees, shrubs, and
undergrowth of different heights which
form a canopy
Lotus, ironwood, and acacias
Columnar, jumping cholla and barrel
cactus
More light penetration and more
understory vegetation than a tropical rain
forest

Animal Life
Tasmanian devil
American alligator
Merriam's Kangaroo rat
Ants
Lizards
Shrews
Coyotes
Kit and gray foxes
Ringtails
Raccoons
Skunks
Badger
Bobcat
Mountain lion
Ocelot

Food Chain
Energy
from sun
First tropic
level:
Producers
Second
tropic level:
Primary
consumers
Third tropic
level:
Secondary
consumers
Fourth tropic
level: Tertiary
consumers
Decomposers
heat
heat heat heat
heat
Interesting Facts
It may come as a surprise that for over 75%
of the tropics, annual drought is a way of
life.
Dry tropical forests are also heavily logged,
and are nearly vanished in Indonesia.
There is really no actual distinction
between this zone and the tropical rain
forest. Because the length of the dry
season varies tremendously throughout
the tropics, one biome gradually changes
into the other over hundreds of miles.
Wetter or drier soils sometimes produce
pockets of tropical dry forest within a
tropical rain forest.


Climate / Seasons:
Tropical dry forests have a seasonal
climate, alternating between a wet and dry
season. However, the dry season is often
longer than the wet season, lasting over
five months every year.
Temperature:
The annual mean temperature is
approximately 81F, or around 27C.
However, in the dry season, this may
increase to 99F, or 37C.
Geography:
Located from 10 to
25 N and S.
Precipitation:
The annual rainfall is
usually around 150-200
cm.
Soil:
The soil in this area is
richer with nutrients, but is
more vulnerable to erosion.
Limiting Factors of the Biome:
The fact that the dry season lasts longer than the wet season, as
well as the soils high susceptibility to erosion, limits the growth of
certain plant life. This, in turn, will limit the biomes ability to sustain
animal life.
Sunlight:
Trees are not as close to
each other as in a rain forest,
therefore allowing more sunlight
to reach the forest floor.
The majority of the biomes fauna is deciduous, meaning these plants
shed their leaves at the onset of the dry season in order to prevent
excess water loss. Other species of plants store water in their fleshy
leaves or stems, or simply have thick waxy skins, such as cacti.
Types of plants: deciduous shrubs, cacti, deciduous
trees, and legumes.
Animals in the tropical dry forest have adapted to survive in the
arid, dry seasons. Many animals are nocturnal, gathering their food
in the cooler night, conserving water. Insects can readily survive in
these conditions, and provide a source of food for larger animals.
Types of animals: desert deer, cactus and pocket mice,
wood and kangaroo rats, lizards, gophers, rabbits,
coyotes, foxes, raccoons, badgers, and bobcats.
Decomposers such as mold and fungi work during the brief wet
season to break down waste into nutrients.
Deciduous shrubs Ants
Sun
Jackrabbit Coyote
Fungus
Since dry forest is suitable for agriculture, much of it
has been burned to make way for farmland.
Tropical dry forests make up the majority of tropical forests on
the earth. Even though they are more endangered than
rainforests in some areas, public awareness is still at a minimal.
The high productivity during the wet season, as
well as the relief from rain during the dry
season makes this a favorable area for humans
to clear in order to be developed for
agricultural needs.