Knowra Tropical dry forest Tropical dry forest A forest in tropical climates with a pronounced dry season, during which many trees lose their leaves. Its vegetation is adapted to seasonal water scarcity.
Deciduousness : The seasonal shedding of leaves by plants, often in response to drought or cold. Many trees shed leaves during the dry season to reduce water loss.
Tropical climate : A climate characteristic of the tropics, generally warm throughout the year and shaped by seasonal rainfall. Warm temperatures persist while rainfall divides the year into wet and dry seasons.
Forest restoration : The process of assisting the recovery of a forest ecosystem that has been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Restoration must account for seasonal drought, fire, and locally adapted species.
Tropical savanna : A tropical ecosystem of grasses and scattered trees, shaped by seasonal rainfall, fire, and grazing. Savannas can share dry climates but have more open tree cover and grass-dominated vegetation.
Endemic species : Species naturally restricted to a particular geographic area. Long isolation among dry-forest regions has produced locally distinctive species.
Drought deciduousness : Leaf shedding triggered by water shortage rather than seasonal cold. It is the defining strategy of many tropical dry-forest trees.
Dry season : A recurring period of markedly reduced precipitation within a climate or region. Its length and severity help determine whether tropical forest can persist.
Assisted natural regeneration : Forest recovery encouraged by protecting and managing natural regrowth rather than planting every tree. It can restore dry forests where seed sources and resprouting vegetation remain.
Tropical moist forest : A tropical forest receiving substantial rainfall but with a less severe dry season than a seasonal dry forest. It occupies a wetter position along the rainfall gradient.
Habitat fragmentation : The division of continuous habitat into smaller, isolated patches. Agriculture and settlement have broken many dry forests into disconnected remnants.
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