Plants of the Tropical Dry Forest

       The tropical dry forest biome is characterized by warm temperatures and seasonal rains. Plants and animals must be adapted to withstand downpours in the rainy seasons as well as months without rain during the dry season. To conserve water, most trees in this region are deciduous, losing their leaves in the dry season to conserve water. Some species are evergreen in the nearby tropical rainforest become deciduous when they grow in the tropical dry forest. Leaves are generally smaller and thicker. The tree canopy is shorter overall, only 10-30m tall. When the trees shed their leaves, more light reaches the ground, allowing thick underbrush to grow in the dry season. Unlike the rainforest, the trees rely mostly on animals to disperse seeds. Soils are more fertile in the dry forest than in the rainforest, but also more prone to erosion.

            Some trees native to the forest are teak, ebony, bamboo, and fig trees. The tropical dry forest is home to the Desnuda tree, also known as the Naked Indian. The Desnuda tree has green bark capable of photosynthesis when the deciduous tree sheds its leaves. When the tree is young it is spiny to prevent animals from feeding on the immature tree. The Acacia tree is also native to this area. It has large thorns which house ant colonies to deter herbivores and other insects. The Madagascar dry forest has 7 species of baobab tree. The rest of the continent of Africa only has one species. The baobab tree is believed by some natives to hold the spirits of the dead. This fact has protected sections of the Madagascar forest from deforestation. In Costa Rica, the Guanacaste tree produces large fruit to be distributed by camels and ground sloths, now extinct in that area. Domesticated herbivores have been introduced to distribute the seeds of this tree.

        Succulents and epiphytes are also well adapted to the tropical dry forest. Cacti, orchids, and  bromeliads are common. One well known species is the bridal veil stinkhorn. Bromeliads and orchids collect leaf litter and water in their leaf bases. Some amphibians use these small pools of water to reproduce.