Tropical Dry Climates

Unique Forest ecosystems with strong phenological patterns characterize tropical dry climates. In the Americas, tropical dry forests (TDFs) now occupy only 40% of their original area and are significantly affected by deforestation because of their location in regions with fertile soils, resulting in significant losses of ecosystem services and biodiversity. Furthermore, at the global level, TDFs serve as barometers to assess the impact of climate change in tropicaltropical environments. This chapter provides an overview of the ecological characteristics of forests in dry tropical climates. It explores the interplay between environmental change, conservation biology, and land use/cover change, highlighting the role of remote sensing in tropical dry environments. This chapter concludes by discussing prospective research paths to understand further the ecological mechanisms in forests in tropical dry climates.