Dry Tropical (Subtropical) Forests
Dry and bushy tropical (subtropical) forests cover large areas of some continents (Africa, Asia, Australia, Americas). Forest apperance dramatically changes according to a season (dry or rainy). In a dry forest can be good conditions for birdwatching and nature observation.
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest ecosystem, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive several hundred centimeters of rain per year, they have long dry seasons which last several months and vary with geographic location. These seasonal droughts have great impact on all living things in the forest.
Deciduous trees predominate in most of 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 newly bare trees open up the canopy layer, enabling sunlight to reach ground level and facilitate the growth of thick underbrush. Trees on moister sites and those with access to ground water tend to be evergreen. Infertile sites also tend to support evergreen trees. Three tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregions, the East Deccan dry evergreen forests, the Sri Lanka dry-zone dry evergreen forests, and the Southeastern Indochina dry evergreen forests, are characterized by evergreen trees.
Though less biologically diverse than rainforests, tropical dry forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife including monkeys, deer, large cats, parrots, various rodents, and ground dwelling birds. Mammalian biomass tends to be higher in dry forests than in rain forests, especially in Asian and African dry forests. Many of these species display extraordinary adaptations to the difficult climate.
This ecosystem is alternately known as the tropical and subtropical dry forest or the tropical and subtropical deciduous forest. Locally some of these forests are also called monsoon forests, and they tend to merge into savannas.
Dry forests tend to exist north and south of the equatorial rainforest belt, south or north of the subtropical deserts, generally in two bands, one between 10° and 20°N latitude and the other between 10° and 20°S latitude. The most diverse dry forests in the world occur in southern Mexico and in the Bolivian lowlands. The dry forests of the Pacific Coast of northwestern South America support a wealth of unique species due to their isolation. The subtropical forests of Maputoland-Pondoland in southeastern Africa are diverse and support many endemic species. The dry forests of central India and Indochina are notable for their diverse large vertebrate faunas. Madagascar dry deciduous forests and New Caledonia dry forests are also highly distinctive (pronounced endemism and a large number of relictual taxa) for a wide range of taxa and at higher taxonomic levels. Trees use underground water during the dry seasons.
Forests on a limestone soil can be considered as a special kind of dry forests. It can be found in all climatic and geographic zones. It can be found even in areas with high precipitation where usualy moist forests could be expected. Rain water penetrates through limestone very fast, so soil surface stay always dry. This kind of dry forest is typical phenomenon of karst regions .
Albatros Travel and Expeditions can provide you many trips directed into areas of dry forests. These trips are usually easy or moderate. Even not trained people can take part in such journeys. There is a list of countries where dry forests can be visited:
Sri Lanka - east, south east and north west of the country, rare in central part
Chile - rarely, only in two national parks
Ecuador - quite rare, only in western part of the country and on Galapagos
Tanzania - one of principle ecosystems in the most of national parks