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Biome

Tropical Dry Forest

Also Known As Tropical Deciduous Forest
Tropical Forest Biomes

Tropical dry forest occurs in climates that are warm year-round but carry a long dry season lasting several months, unlike the constantly wet tropical rainforest. Deciduous trees predominate, shedding their leaves during the drought to conserve water, and the biome is less biologically diverse than rainforest but still supports substantial wildlife including monkeys, deer, large cats and parrots. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Facts
Disputed
Annual Precipitation (mm)
1500 1
Bioclimatic definitions disagree on bounds: Murphy and Lugo set 250 to 2000 mm annually, FAO sets 500 to 1500 mm, and the DryFlor network sets up to 1800 mm; Wikipedia's Seasonal Tropical Forest entry gives a typical 1000 to 2500 mm range. This entry uses a representative midpoint rather than asserting one agreed figure.
Typical High Temperature (C)
26 2
Representative low-elevation mean annual high from the Ecuadorian Dry Forests ecoregion (One Earth); this biome family bioclimatic definitions set only a mean annual floor above 17C (PMC bioclimatic paper, already cited), with no single universal high figure given.
Climate
Typical Low Temperature (C)
17 1
This is the biome's defining climatic threshold, the mean annual temperature floor used to distinguish it from cooler forest types, not a literal coldest single reading. No verified figure for temperature-high-c was found this pass; left unfilled rather than invented.
Connections

Demonstrates

Dry-season dormancy is a defining survival strategy for animals of seasonally dry tropical forests.

Source Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests (Wikipedia)

Home To

Source Spathodea campanulata - Wikipedia
Source Wikipedia: Phelsuma abbotti
Baobab, Species
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Source Black dorcopsis (Wikipedia)
Source Brachypelma hamorii (Wikipedia)
Source Plants For A Future: Buchanania lanzan
Source Capuchin Monkey (Wikipedia)
Coontie, Species
Source Zamia integrifolia (Wikipedia)
Source Plants For A Future: Dalbergia melanoxylon
Source GBIF: Hylobates funereus
Source Plants For A Future: Enterolobium cyclocarpum
Source Wikipedia: Fiji crested iguana
Source Encyclopaedia Britannica
Source Gundlach's hawk (Wikipedia)
Source GBIF: Solenodon paradoxus
Kapok, Species
Source Plants For A Future: Ceiba pentandra
Source NatureServe Explorer: Moho braccatus
Source Malagasy giant chameleon (Wikipedia)
Source Pipistrellus raceyi (Wikipedia)
Poinsettia, Species
Source Poinsettia (Wikipedia)
Source Red-billed malkoha (Wikidata)
Source Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Lemur catta (Animal Diversity Web)
Source Sebastiania pavoniana (Wikipedia)
Source Seychelles Day Gecko (Wikipedia)
Source Sinaloan mastiff bat (Wikipedia)
Sloth Bear, Species
Source Sloth Bear (Wikipedia)
Tecoma stans, Species
Source Tecoma stans (Wikipedia)
Source GBIF: Hylobates abbotti
Yerba mate, Species
Source Plants For A Future: Ilex paraguariensis
Sources
1. Tropical Dry Forest Bioclimatic Definitions (PMC)
PMC (National Library of Medicine)
  • Table 1
    Murphy and Lugo: 250 to 2000 mm; FAO: 500 to 1500 mm; DryFlor: up to 1800 mm
  • Methods section
    minimum temperature of coldest month with mean annual temperature greater than 17 degrees C
2. Ecuadorian Dry Forests (One Earth)
One EarthClimate paragraph, temperature sentence
Quote, Climate paragraph, temperature sentence
At low elevations the mean annual temperature varies between 24 and 26°C.
View the Source
Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Wikipedia, Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests, Characteristics section
    Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive several hundred millimeters of rain per year, they have long dry seasons that last several months and vary with geographic location.
  • In Category: Biomes, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_and_subtropical_dry_broadleaf_forests, lead section
    The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest is a habitat type defined by the World Wide Fund for Nature and is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes.
  • Demonstrates: Estivation
View the Source
Seasonal Tropical Forest (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIntroduction
Quote, Introduction
This tropical forest is classified under the Walter system as (i) tropical climate with high overall rainfall (typically in the 1000-2500 mm range; 39-98 inches) and (ii) having a very distinct wet season with (an often cooler "winter") dry season.
View the Source
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc.
  • Home To: Baobab
  • Home To: Giant Anteater
View the Source
Spathodea campanulata - Wikipedia
Home To: African Tulip Tree, Wikipedia intro: "rican tulip tree or the Nandi Flame. The tree grows between 7-25 m (23-82 ft) tall and is native to tropical dry forests of Africa. It has been nominated as amo..."View the Source
Seychelles Day Gecko (Wikipedia)
Home To: Seychelles Day Gecko, Wikipedia intro: "lizard in the family Gekkonidae endemic to the Seychelles. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland f..."View the Source
Black dorcopsis (Wikipedia)
Home To: Black dorcopsis, Wikipedia intro: "c to Goodenough Island at the eastern end of New Guinea where its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry forests. It is threatened by habitat loss and h..."View the Source
Capuchin Monkey (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Capuchin Monkey, Wikipedia 'Capuchin monkey': occupy wet lowland forests on the Caribbean coast and deciduous dry forest on the Pacific coastView the Source
Red-billed malkoha (Wikidata)
WikidataHome To: Red-billed malkoha, IntroductionView the Source
Sinaloan mastiff bat (Wikipedia)
Home To: Sinaloan mastiff bat, Section: Distribution and habitat; begins "Within this region, they inhabit both dry decidu"
Quote, Home To: Sinaloan mastiff bat, Section: Distribution and habitat; begins "Within this region, they inhabit both dry decidu"
Within this region, they inhabit both dry deciduous forests and tropical evergreen forests.
View the Source
Malagasy giant chameleon (Wikipedia)
Home To: Malagasy giant chameleon, Section: Distribution and habitat; begins "It inhabits a very wide range of habitats includ"
Quote, Home To: Malagasy giant chameleon, Section: Distribution and habitat; begins "It inhabits a very wide range of habitats includ"
It inhabits a very wide range of habitats including dry deciduous forest, humid evergreen forest, montane savanna, degraded forests, agricultural areas and even urban settings.
View the Source
Pipistrellus raceyi (Wikipedia)
Home To: Pipistrellus raceyi, lead paragraph (habitat biome), EntityId 376751, target B268361
Quote, Home To: Pipistrellus raceyi, lead paragraph (habitat biome), EntityId 376751, target B268361
In the east, it is found in open areas and has been found roosting in a building; in the west it occurs in dry forest.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Fiji crested iguana
Home To: Fiji Crested Iguana, lead paragraph (habitat biome), EntityId 335864, target B268361
Quote, Home To: Fiji Crested Iguana, lead paragraph (habitat biome), EntityId 335864, target B268361
The Fiji crested iguana or Fijian crested iguana (Brachylophus vitiensis) is a critically endangered species of iguana native to some of the northwestern islands of the Fijiian archipelago, where it is found in dry fore
View the Source
Sloth Bear (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia FoundationHome To: Sloth Bear, Distribution and habitat
Quote, Home To: Sloth Bear, Distribution and habitat
It occurs in a wide range of habitats including moist and dry tropical forests, savannahs, scrublands and grasslands below 1,500 m (4,900 ft) on the Indian subcontinent, and below 300 m (980 ft) in Sri Lanka's dry forests.
View the Source
Zamia integrifolia (Wikipedia)
Home To: Coontie, Distribution and habitat
Quote, Home To: Coontie, Distribution and habitat
In the Bahamas, Z. integrifolia is found in Bahamian pine forests and Bahamian dry forests on the Abaco Islands, where it is abundant, northern Andros, where it is common, Grand Bahama, where it is rare, and New Providence, where it is found in the few remaining unfragmented patches of pine forest.
View the Source
Gundlach's hawk (Wikipedia)
Home To: Gundlach's hawk, Distribution and habitat
Quote, Home To: Gundlach's hawk, Distribution and habitat
It does not have highly specialized habitat preferences needing only forests to conceal its hunting approaches Its natural habitats are dry forests and lowland moist forests.
View the Source
Poinsettia (Wikipedia)
Home To: Poinsettia, Conservation
Quote, Home To: Poinsettia, Conservation
The tropical dry forests where wild poinsettias grow experience largely unregulated deforestation, resulting in habitat loss.
View the Source
Wikipedia: Phelsuma abbotti
WikipediaHome To: Aldabra Day Gecko, Habitat
Quote, Home To: Aldabra Day Gecko, Habitat
The natural habitats of P. abbotti are subtropical or tropical dry forests, subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical mangrove forests, subtropical or tropical dry shrubland, rural gardens, urban areas, and introduced vegetation.
View the Source
Brachypelma hamorii (Wikipedia)
Home To: Brachypelma Hamorii, Habitat: Tropical Dry Forest
Quote, Home To: Brachypelma Hamorii, Habitat: Tropical Dry Forest
The natural habitat of the species is in hilly deciduous tropical forests.
View the Source
Plants For A Future: Ceiba pentandra
Plants For A FutureHome To: Kapok, Habitats
Quote, Home To: Kapok, Habitats
An emergent tree in various types of moist evergreen and deciduous forests, including those subject to seasonal inundation, as well as in dry forests and gallery forests ... As a pioneer species, it mostly occurs in secondary forests
View the Source
Plants For A Future: Buchanania lanzan
Plants For A FutureHome To: Buchanania lanzan, Habitats
Quote, Home To: Buchanania lanzan, Habitats
In open and dry forests on poor soils ... Lowland forests in southern China at elevations of 100 - 900 metres
View the Source
Plants For A Future: Enterolobium cyclocarpum
Plants For A FutureHome To: Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Habitats
Quote, Home To: Enterolobium cyclocarpum, Habitats
A climax, dominant species in subtropical, dry forest zones, restricted to disturbed areas in wetter forest types ... Dry lowland forests and savannahs ... Dry hillsides and by streams, usually below elevations of 300 metres in Guatemala ... A tropical plant. It is native to tropical America. It grows in dry, lowland forest and savannah. It can tolerate drought. It has some salt tolerance.
View the Source
Plants For A Future: Ilex paraguariensis
Plants For A FutureHome To: Yerba mate, Habitats
Quote, Home To: Yerba mate, Habitats
Grows primarily in seasonally dry tropical forest regions. An understorey tree of mixed Araucaria forest.
View the Source
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Lemur catta (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyHome To: Ring-tailed Lemur, Geographic Range
Quote, Home To: Ring-tailed Lemur, Geographic Range
They prefer gallery forests, forests near and following the riverbanks, but can be found in dry scrub, montane humid forests, and deciduous forests.
View the Source
GBIF: Solenodon paradoxus
GBIFHome To: Hispaniolan Solenodon, Descriptions: biology_ecology
Quote, Home To: Hispaniolan Solenodon, Descriptions: biology_ecology
Usually good-quality forest in a variety of different primary tropical forest types, including dry, moist and wet broadleaf, and high-elevation pine forests
View the Source
GBIF: Hylobates abbotti
GBIFHome To: Western Grey Gibbon, Descriptions: biology_ecology
Quote, Home To: Western Grey Gibbon, Descriptions: biology_ecology
Primary and secondary semi-deciduous monsoon, dipterocarp, and tropical evergreen forest.
View the Source
GBIF: Hylobates funereus
GBIFHome To: Eastern Grey Gibbon, Descriptions: biology_ecology
Quote, Home To: Eastern Grey Gibbon, Descriptions: biology_ecology
Primary and secondary semi-deciduous monsoon, dipterocarp, and tropical evergreen forest.
View the Source
NatureServe Explorer: Moho braccatus
NatureServe ExplorerHome To: Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, Habitat comments: dry lowland forest
Quote, Home To: Kauaʻi ʻōʻō, Habitat comments: dry lowland forest
dry lowland forest
View the Source
Plants For A Future: Dalbergia melanoxylon
Plants For A FutureHome To: Dalbergia melanoxylon, Habitats
Quote, Home To: Dalbergia melanoxylon, Habitats
It is often found on dry, rocky sites but is most frequent in the mixed deciduous forests and savannahs of the coastal region
View the Source
Tecoma stans (Wikipedia)
Home To: Tecoma stans, Ecology tropical dry
Quote, Home To: Tecoma stans, Ecology tropical dry
It thrives in a wide variety of ecosystems, from high altitude temperate forests and tropical deciduous and evergreen forests, to xerophilous scrub and the intertropical littoral.
View the Source
Sebastiania pavoniana (Wikipedia)
Home To: Sebastiania pavoniana, Distribution
Quote, Home To: Sebastiania pavoniana, Distribution
It is one of the most common trees of the Tropical dry broadleaf forest, especially in late-succession forests as it is shade-tolerant.
View the Source

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