Response of the endangered tropical dry forests to climate change and the role of Mexican Protected Areas for their conservation

Tropical dry forests is one of the most unique forest types. It differs from other tropical forests with its climatic behavior like a prominent dry period, little annual rainfall, and high evapotranspiration. Out of six global bioclimatic zones, the forests are distributed in four. Climate change is now the most challenging issue regarding the fate of tropical dry forests. A severe climatic change is estimated to occur between 2040 and 2069 that could drastically change the precipitation pattern, temperature, aridity, and distribution of biodiversity. It could alter the forest type permanently. With a large number of heat-tolerant species, tropical dry forests have a great potentiality to conservationists with the prediction of a large area that could attain the climatic condition favorable for extension of tropical dry forests. But many of the species of tropical dry forests could be extinct due to changing climate at the same time. Proper adaptation and mitigation techniques could minimize the severity of climate change effects.

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Plant Functional Traits in Tropical Dry Forests

Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability - Handbook of Research on the Conservation and Restoration of Tropical Dry Forests ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-0014-9.ch004 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 66-88

Author(s):

Shipra Singh ◽

Abhishek K. Verma

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Functional Traits ◽

Community Dynamics ◽

Cellular Level ◽

Plant Functional Traits ◽

Tropical Dry Forests ◽

Dry Forests ◽

Morphological Adaptations ◽

Physiological Adaptations

Plants have certain characteristics which allow them to respond to various environmental conditions, like changes in climate, water scarcity in the soil, lack of minerals; among others. In some of these traits, the responses to climatic phenomena such as drought can be evidenced through morphological adaptations (spines, succulent tissues, trichomes) or physiological adaptations (regulation of water potential at the cellular level, the concentration of nutrients, etc.). A systematic literature review was performed to study plant functional traits (PFTs) in tropical dry forests (TDFs). The chapter suggests the role of functional traits in community dynamics and processes. The authors will also highlight the limitations of PFTs in TDFs and how they can be improved.

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Global Overview of Tropical Dry Forests

Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability - Handbook of Research on the Conservation and Restoration of Tropical Dry Forests ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-0014-9.ch001 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-23

Author(s):

G. N. Tanjina Hasnat ◽

Mohammed Kamal Hossain

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Endangered Species ◽

Land Surface ◽

Forest Type ◽

Conservation Status ◽

Tropical Dry Forests ◽

Land Conversion ◽

Dry Period ◽

Dry Forests ◽

The World

Forests cover almost one-third of the Earth's land surface. Tropical dry forests are the second-most-important forest type in the world covering approximately 42% of tropical and sub-tropical forest area. The main features of these forests are their deciduousness, a prolonged dry period extending 3-9 months, and little annual precipitation of 250-2,000 mm. Tropical dry forests are found in five of the eight realms in the world. More than half of the forests are distributed in the Americas, with other portions in Africa, Eurasia, Australia, and Southeast Asia. The forests are unique in nature, and provide shelter to a huge number of endemics and endangered species. Among woody plant species, about 40% are not found anywhere in the world. These forests are now the most threatened among all forest types. The conservation status of these forests is endangered. Deforestation, rapid civilization, land conversion, fire, and climate change are the major threats. Proper management with time-oriented policy could be helpful to restore these forests and protect the existing remnant areas.

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Effect of Climate Change on Tropical Dry Forests

Practice, Progress, and Proficiency in Sustainability - Handbook of Research on the Conservation and Restoration of Tropical Dry Forests ◽

10.4018/978-1-7998-0014-9.ch002 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 24-41

Author(s):

Pooja Gokhale Sinha

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Carbon Sequestration ◽

Nutrient Cycling ◽

Tropical Dry Forests ◽

Temperature Sensitive ◽

Dry Forests ◽

Symbiotic Associations ◽

Carbon Sequestration Potential ◽

Mitigation And Adaptation ◽

Total Forest Area

Around 1.6 billion people in the world are directly dependent on forests for food, fodder, fuel, shelter, and livelihood, out of which 60 million are entirely dependent on forests. Forests silently provide us with ecosystem services such as climate regulation, carbon sequestration, harbouring biodiversity, synchronizing nutrient cycling, and many more. Tropical Dry Forests (TDF's) occupy around 42% of total forest area of the tropics and subtropics and facilitate sustenance of world's marginalized populations. Change in vegetation composition and distribution, deflected succession, carbon sequestration potential, nutrient cycling and symbiotic associations would affect TDF at ecosystem level. At species level, climate change will impact photosynthesis, phenology, physiognomy, seed germination, and temperature-sensitive physiological processes. In order to mitigate the effects of climate change, specific mitigation and adaptation strategies are required for TDF that need to be designed with concerted efforts from scientists, policy makers and local stakeholders.

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Effect of Climate Change on Tropical Dry Forests

10.4018/978-1-6684-3686-8.ch055 ◽

2022 ◽

pp. 1132-1149

Author(s):

Pooja Gokhale Sinha

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Carbon Sequestration ◽

Nutrient Cycling ◽

Tropical Dry Forests ◽

Temperature Sensitive ◽

Dry Forests ◽

Symbiotic Associations ◽

Carbon Sequestration Potential ◽

Mitigation And Adaptation ◽

Total Forest Area

Around 1.6 billion people in the world are directly dependent on forests for food, fodder, fuel, shelter, and livelihood, out of which 60 million are entirely dependent on forests. Forests silently provide us with ecosystem services such as climate regulation, carbon sequestration, harbouring biodiversity, synchronizing nutrient cycling, and many more. Tropical Dry Forests (TDF's) occupy around 42% of total forest area of the tropics and subtropics and facilitate sustenance of world's marginalized populations. Change in vegetation composition and distribution, deflected succession, carbon sequestration potential, nutrient cycling and symbiotic associations would affect TDF at ecosystem level. At species level, climate change will impact photosynthesis, phenology, physiognomy, seed germination, and temperature-sensitive physiological processes. In order to mitigate the effects of climate change, specific mitigation and adaptation strategies are required for TDF that need to be designed with concerted efforts from scientists, policy makers and local stakeholders.

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