Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests: Emerging Features and Ecological Perspectives

Tropical dry forests (TDFs) are one of the most dominant forests, accounting for approximately 45% of all tropical forests. They are distributed over an extensive geographical range, spanning large areas of Africa, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific, and are characterized by severe and variable climate, nutrient-poor soil, and deciduousness. These forests are highly productive with high biodiversity, but they are endangered due to persistent anthropogenic pressures such as burning, mining, indiscriminate forest cutting, lopping, and increased extraction of non-wood forest products. Disturbances in TDFs have resulted in fragmentation and ecosystem conversion, and anthropogenic pressure is rapidly becoming a growing concern globally due to its negative impacts on the structure and composition of the vegetation. This book discusses various issues, obstacles, and opportunities for protection, regeneration, and management of TDFs worldwide, as well as information gaps in the areas referred to above, which may be of critical significance in adapting and mitigating responses to the current climate change scenario.

Format: Hardback
Length: 477 pages
Publication date: 05 May 2021
Publisher: Nova Science Publishers Inc

Tropical dry forests (TDFs) are a remarkable and dominant type of forest, accounting for approximately 45% of all tropical forests worldwide. These forests are distributed across vast geographical areas, including significant portions of Africa, Latin America, and the Asia Pacific. TDFs thrive in severe and highly variable climates characterized by low annual rainfall and a prolonged dry period, often lasting 5-6 months within the annual cycle. Additionally, these forests face nutrient-poor soil conditions, further exacerbating their challenges.

Due to the extreme drought conditions prevalent in TDFs, these forests exhibit deciduousness and a range of adaptive features. These include fire resistance, desiccation tolerance, herbivore defense, a high root-shoot ratio, longer seed viability, and other mechanisms that enable them to establish and survive in such harsh environmental conditions. These remarkable adaptations make TDFs exceptionally critical in terms of their ecological significance.

Despite their remarkable productivity and high biodiversity, TDFs are unfortunately among the most endangered ecosystems on the planet. Persistent anthropogenic pressures, such as burning, mining, indiscriminate forest cutting, lopping, and increased extraction of non-wood forest products, have placed these forest communities at risk. Disturbances in TDFs have led to fragmentation and ecosystem conversion, resulting in changes in their biomass and productivity.

The growing concern surrounding anthropogenic pressure is due to its detrimental impacts on the structure and composition of vegetation. Moreover, TDFs' higher net primary productivity contributes significantly to the global carbon cycle, making them a vital component in mitigating climate change. However, uncontrolled harvesting for short-term temporal benefits is a major cause of forest destruction and deforestation, leading to significant loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, soil degradation, and socio-economic damages to food components.

The consequences of deforestation and forest clearing are far-reaching and profound. Soil erosion and degradation result in the loss of fertile soil, reducing agricultural productivity and exacerbating food insecurity. The loss of biodiversity in TDFs impacts the ecosystem's ability to provide essential services, such as pollination, nutrient cycling, and water regulation. Furthermore, deforestation and forest clearing contribute to climate change by reducing the Earth's ability to absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

To address the challenges facing TDFs and protect their ecological and socio-economic value, it is essential to implement sustainable management practices. This includes promoting responsible forest harvesting, implementing protected areas, and promoting sustainable land use practices. Additionally, raising awareness about the importance of TDFs and the threats they face is crucial in fostering global cooperation and action.

In conclusion, tropical dry forests are a unique and valuable ecosystem that faces numerous threats. However, by implementing sustainable management practices and raising awareness, we can help protect these forests and their remarkable biodiversity for future generations. TDFs play a critical role in mitigating climate change and providing essential services to human societies. Therefore, it is imperative that we take action to conserve and restore these endangered ecosystems.

Weight: 1030g
Dimension: 260 x 180 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781536195439