Species Diversity
Tropical dry forests have a very unique habitat which creates a great amount of species richness, biodiversity and to have a wider range of species found in these types of forests. The very exotic environment allows for this to happen because it creates a lot of niches for plants and animals to fill in the natural environment. Tropical dry forests has many significant terrestrial communities ranging from mangroves, atoll forests, marshlands, savanna lands and upland forest that drive the unique biodiversity of tropical dry forests. This wide array of ecosystems is able to support many different species because there are so many niches available. Tropical dry forests mainly consist of tall, deciduous trees that dominate these forests, and during the drought a leafless period occurs, which varies with species type. Because trees lose moisture through their leaves, the shedding of leaves allows trees such as teak and mountain ebony to conserve water during dry periods. The lack of water in dry seasons spurs species diversity in tropical dry forests because it creates a very competitive environment in the search for water. This in turn leads to greater genetic variation between species to find specific niches to survive and evolve in. Tropical Dry forests are huge biodiversity hotspots because of their unique environment and climatic conditions, which also leads to the growth of many endemic species within their habitats. Madagascar is a prime example of this because Madagascar has numerous endemic species on its island because it is isolated from outlying islands and human contact.
Plant diversity
Dry forests consist of an array of environments and plants such as trees, shrubs, mangroves, savannas, marshland and undergrowth of different heights which form a canopy, and some small forests have up to 40 different species. Most of the trees and shrubs found in this type of habitat are deciduous, losing their leaves at the beginning of the dry season to conserve soil moisture. This allows for more light penetration and more understory vegetation than a tropical rain forest.
Examples of biome flora:
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Animal Diversity
Since Tropical dry forests have a very unique environment numerous amounts of species grow and thrive in this region. In this biome you see every type of animal, from birds to mammals, to reptiles and amphibians.
Examples of biome fauna:
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