Trinidad and Tobago dry forest on Chacachacare showing the dry-season deciduous nature of the vegetation

The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive several hundred centimeters of rain per year, they deal with long dry seasons which last several months and vary with geographic location. These seasonal droughts have great impact on all living things in the forest. Deciduous trees predominate in most of these forests, and during the drought a leafless period occurs, which varies with species type. Because trees lose moisture though their leaves, the shedding of leaves allows trees such as teak and mountain ebony to conserve water during dry periods. The newly bare trees open up the canopy layer, enabling sunlight to reach ground level and facilitate the growth of thick underbrush. Trees on moister sites and those with access to ground water tend to be evergreen. Infertile sites also tend to support evergreen trees. Three tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregions, the East Deccan dry evergreen forests, the Sri Lanka dry-zone dry evergreen forests, and the Southeastern Indochina dry evergreen forests, are characterized by evergreen trees. Image File history File links Chacachacare_dry_forest_3. ... Image File history File links Chacachacare_dry_forest_3. ... Trinidad and Tobago dry forests are tropical dry forests located primarily in western and southern parts of the island of Trinidad, in southern parts of the island of Tobago and on smaller offshore islands including Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos, Gaspar Grande, Little Tobago and St. ... Chacachacare is an island in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. ... A biome is a major class of ecologically similar communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, often reffered to as ecosystems. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A drought is an extended period where water availability falls below the statistical requirements for a region. ... Deciduous means temporary or tending to fall off (deriving from the Latin word decidere, to fall off) and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally. ... Species Tectona grandis Tectona hamiltoniana Tectona philippinensis Teak (Tectona), is a genus of tropical hardwood trees in the family Verbenaceae, native to the south and southeast of Asia, and is commonly found as a component of monsoon forest vegetation. ... The canopy is the habitat found at the uppermost level of a forest, especially rainforest. ... Prism splitting light High Resolution Solar Spectrum Sunlight in the broad sense is the total spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation given off by the Sun. ... Underbrush is a term used to describe the low shrubs and young trees that grow on the floor of a forest. ... ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... The East Deccan dry evergreen forests are an ecoregion of southeastern India. ... The Sri Lanka dry-zone dry evergreen forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion of the island of Sri Lanka. ...

Though less biologically diverse than rainforests, tropical dry forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife including monkeys, deer, large cats, parrots, various rodents, and ground dwelling birds. Mammalian biomass tends to be higher in dry forests than in rain forests, especially in Asian and African dry forests. Many of these species display extraordinary adaptations to the difficult climate. The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. ... Approximate worldwide distribution of monkeys. ... This article is about the ruminant animal. ... Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... Systematics (but see below) Family Cacatuidae (cockatoos) Family Psittacidae (true parrots) Subfamily Loriinae (lories and lorikeets) Subfamily Psittacinae (typical parrots and allies) Tribe Arini (American psittacines) Tribe Cyclopsitticini (fig-parrots) Tribe Micropsittini (pygmy-parrots) Tribe Nestorini (kakas and Kea) Tribe Platycercini (broad-tailed parrots) Tribe Psittrichadini (Pesquets Parrot) Tribe... Suborders Sciuromorpha Castorimorpha Myomorpha Anomaluromorpha Hystricomorpha Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents. ... For other uses, see Bird (disambiguation). ... An Antarctic krill, whose species comprises roughly 0. ... The hierarchy of scientific classification. ...

This biome is alternately known as the tropical and subtropical dry forest biome or the tropical and subtropical deciduous forest biome. Locally some of these forests are also called monsoon forests, and they tend to merge into savannas. Savanna at Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania. ...

Geographical variation

Dry forests tend to exist north and south of the equatorial rainforest belt, south of the subtropical deserts, generally in two bands, one between 10° and 20°N latitude and the other between 10° and 20°S latitude. The most diverse dry forests in the world occur in southern Mexico and in the Bolivian lowlands. The dry forests of the Pacific Coast of northwestern South America support a wealth of unique species due to their isolation. The subtropical forests of Maputoland-Pondoland in southeastern Africa are diverse and support many endemic species. The dry forests of central India and Indochina are notable for their diverse large vertebrate faunas. Madagascar dry deciduous forests and New Caledonia dry forests are also highly distinctive (pronounced endemism and a large number of relictual taxa) for a wide range of taxa and at higher taxonomic levels. This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Daintree Rainforest in Queensland, Australia. ... Latitude,usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi, , gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. ... Latitude,usually denoted symbolically by the Greek letter phi, , gives the location of a place on Earth north or south of the equator. ... The Pacific Coast is any coast fronting the Pacific Ocean. ... South America South America is a continent crossed by the equator, with most of its area in the Southern Hemisphere. ... The Maputaland-Pondoland bushland and thickets is a montane shrubland ecoregion of South Africa. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second most-populous continent, after Asia. ... In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ... Indochina 1886 Indochina, or the Indochinese Peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Fauna is a collective term for animal life. ... Aerial photo of a portion of the Anjajavy Forest, inset by a swath of mangrove riparian forest. ... In biology and ecology endemic means exclusively native to a place or biota, in contrast to cosmopolitan or introduced. ... The term relict is used to refer to surviving remnants of natural phenomena. ... Look up taxonomy in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Biodiversity patterns and requirements

Species tend to have wider ranges than moist forest species, although in some regions many species do display highly restricted ranges; most dry forest species are restricted to tropical dry forests, particularly in plants; beta diversity and alpha diversity high but typically lower than adjacent moist forests. Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical rain forests, are a tropical and subtropical biome. ... Beta diversity (β-diversity) is a measure of biodiversity which works by comparing the species diversity between ecosystems. ... Alpha diversity (α-diversity) is the biodiversity within a particular area, community or ecosystem, and is measured by counting the number of taxa within the ecosystem (usually species). ...

Effective conservation of dry broadleaf forests requires the preservation of large and continuous areas of forest. Large natural areas are required to maintain larger predators and other vertebrates, and to buffer sensitive species from hunting pressure. The persistence of riparian forests and water sources is critical for many dry forest species. Large swathes of intact forest are required to allow species to recover from occasional large events, like forest fires. This snapping turtle is trying to make a meal of a Canada goose, but the goose is too wary. ... Typical classes Petromyzontidae (lampreys) Placodermi - extinct Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) Acanthodii - extinct Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) Actinistia (coelacanths) Dipnoi (lungfish) Amphibia (amphibians) Reptilia (reptiles) Aves (birds) Mammalia (mammals) Vertebrata is a subphylum of chordates, specifically, those with backbones or spinal columns. ... “Hunter” redirects here. ... Atlantic coastal salt marsh A Riparian forest is a forested area of land adjacent to a body of water such as a river, stream, ponds, lakes, marshlands, estuary, canals, playas, and reservoirs. ...

Dry forests are highly sensitive to excessive burning and deforestation; overgrazing and exotic species can also quickly alter natural communities; restoration is possible but challenging, particularly if degradation has been intense and persistent. Degrading dry broadleaf forests often leaves thorny shrublands, thickets, or dry grasslands in their place. Deforestation is the conversion of forested areas to non-forest land use such as arable land, pasture, urban use, logged area, or wasteland. ... // In the dictionary and agriculture, overgrazing is when plants are exposed to grazing for too long, or without sufficient recovery periods. ...

Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests ecoregions

The Afrotropic Ecozone is Africa south of the Sahara Desert. ... The Republic of Cape Verde or Cape Verde (Portuguese: Cabo Verde, pron. ... Aerial photo of a portion of the Anjajavy Forest, inset by a swath of mangrove riparian forest. ... The Australasia Ecozone The Australasian ecozone – is an ecological region that is coincident, but not synonymous (by some definitions), with the geographic region of Australasia. ... The Lesser Sunda Islands; Sumba is in the center Sumba is an island in Indonesia, and is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands. ... The Indomalaya Ecozone was previously called the Oriental region. ... The Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests is a Tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion of southern India. ... The Chota Nagpur dry deciduous forest is a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in eastern India. ... The East Deccan dry evergreen forests are an ecoregion of southeastern India. ... The Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion of western India. ... The Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests are a tropical dry forest ecoregion of central India. ... The Northern dry deciduous forests is a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion of east-central India. ... The South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests is an ecoregion of southern India. ... The Sri Lanka dry-zone dry evergreen forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion of the island of Sri Lanka. ... The Neotropic ecozone is a terrestrial ecoregion which includes South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. ... The Atlantic dry forests are a tropical dry forest ecoregion of eastern Brazil. ... There are things that have the name Chaco: South America: Gran Chaco, a region in South America Chaco Province, Argentina in the northeastern part of the country Chaco, a region in Paraguay Chaco Department, historical in Paraguay and proposed in Bolivia Gran Chaco Province, Bolivia (in Tarija Department) Chaco War... Jamaican dry forests are subtropical dry forests located in southern Jamaica. ... Puerto Rican dry forests are a subset of tropical and subtropical broadleaf dry forests. ... The Revillagigedo Islands (or Revillagigedo Archipelago), not to be confused with Revillagigedo Island of Alaska, are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean at approximately 18° N 112° W. They are part of Manzanillo municipality of the Mexican state of Colima and lie 386 km southwest of Cabo San... The Sierra de la Laguna dry forests are a subtropical dry forest ecoregion of the southern Baja California Peninsula in Mexico. ... Trinidad and Tobago dry forests are tropical dry forests located primarily in western and southern parts of the island of Trinidad, in southern parts of the island of Tobago and on smaller offshore islands including Chacachacare, Monos, Huevos, Gaspar Grande, Little Tobago and St. ... The Nearctic is one of the eight terrestrial ecozones dividing the Earths land surface. ... Oceania is the smallest of the worlds terrestrial ecozones, and unique in not including any continental land mass. ... Official language(s) English, Hawaiian Capital Honolulu Largest city Honolulu Area  Ranked 43rd  - Total 10,931 sq mi (29,311 km²)  - Width n/a miles (n/a km)  - Length 1,522 miles (2,450 km)  - % water 41. ... The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) is a commonwealth in political union with the United States of America at a strategic location in the West Pacific Ocean. ...

See Also

• List of national parks of Madagascar

Andohahela National park in southern Madagascar The protected areas network of Madagascar is managed by the Madagascar National Parks Association (PNM-ANGAP). ...

References

• 2006-01-13, Sciencedaily: Deep-rooted Plants Have Much Greater Impact On Climate Than Experts Thought Citat: "...The tap roots transfer rainwater from the surface to reservoirs deep underground and redistribute water...increases photosynthesis and the evaporation of water...by 40 percent in the dry season...During the wet season, these plants can store as much as 10 percent of the annual precipitation as deep as 13 meters (43 feet) underground, to be tapped during the dry months...tree roots acting like pipes to allow water to shift around much faster than it could otherwise percolate through the soil..."

Much material in this article has been reworked from Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests, byWWF with their permission. A plants taproot is a straight tapering root that grows vertically down. ... Rain is a type of precipitation, a product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that is deposited on the earths surface. ... The Ashokan Reservoir, located in Ulster County, New York, USA. It is one of 19 that supplies New York City with drinking water. ... The leaf is the primary site of photosynthesis in plants. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... PeRColate is an open source set of extensions to Max/MSP, developed by Dan Trueman at Princeton University and R. Luke DuBois at the Computer Music Center, Columbia University. ... Loess field in Germany Surface-water-gley developed in glacial till, Northern Ireland Technically, soil forms the pedosphere: the interface between the lithosphere (rocky part of the planet) and the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. ...

A biome is a major class of ecologically similar communities of plants, animals, and soil organisms, often reffered to as ecosystems. ... Tropic wet forests in the World Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, also known as tropical wet forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome. ... Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests are a biome located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. ... Temperate mixed forest in Yunnan, southwest China. ... Pine forests are an example of a temperate coniferous forests Temperate coniferous forests are a terrestrial biome found in temperate regions of the world with warm summers and cool winters and adequate rainfall to sustain a forest. ... A Mediterranean forest. ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... Above and below water view at the edge of the mangal. ... Tropical and subtropical grasslands, savannas, and shrublands are a grassland biome located in semi-arid to semi-humid climate regions of subtropical and tropical latitudes. ... Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands is a biome in which the climate is temperate and semi-arid to semi-humid. ... Flooded grasslands and savannas are a biome, generally located at subtropical and tropical latitudes, where flooding is very frequent. ... Montane grasslands and shrublands is a biome defined by the World Wildlife Fund. ... In isolation, Hawaiis Silverswords have adapted to xeric microclimates within volcanic craters, trapping and channeling dew and protecting leaves with reflective hairs. ... For other uses, see Tundra (disambiguation). ... An ecozone or biogeographic realm is the largest scale biogeographic division of the earths surface based on the historic and evolutionary distribution patterns of plants and animals. ... The Afrotropic Ecozone is Africa south of the Sahara Desert. ... Antarctica is one of eight terrestrial ecozones. ... The Australasia Ecozone The Australasian ecozone – is an ecological region that is coincident, but not synonymous (by some definitions), with the geographic region of Australasia. ... The Indomalaya Ecozone was previously called the Oriental region. ... The Nearctic is one of the eight terrestrial ecozones dividing the Earths land surface. ... The Neotropic ecozone is a terrestrial ecoregion which includes South America, Central America, and the Caribbean. ... Oceania is the smallest of the worlds terrestrial ecozones, and unique in not including any continental land mass. ... The Palearctic or Palaearctic is one of the eight ecozones dividing the Earth surface (see map). ...

External links

• info on this biome