Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Biomes

Tropical Dry Forest

Also Known As Tropical Deciduous Forest

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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.

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.
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.
Cross-Tradition Connections

Demonstrates

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

Sources
1. Tropical Dry Forest Bioclimatic Definitions (PMC)
PMC (National Library of Medicine)Table 1
Quote, Table 1
Murphy and Lugo: 250 to 2000 mm; FAO: 500 to 1500 mm; DryFlor: up to 1800 mm
1. Tropical Dry Forest Bioclimatic Definitions (PMC)
PMC (National Library of Medicine)Methods section
Quote, Methods section
minimum temperature of coldest month with mean annual temperature greater than 17 degrees C
Tropical and Subtropical Dry Broadleaf Forests (Wikipedia)
Seasonal Tropical Forest (Wikipedia)
Wikipedialead section
Quote, lead section
typically in the 1000 to 2500 mm range; 39 to 98 inches
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