Tropical+Deciduous+Forest

= = = Tropical Deciduous Forest =

1. Tropical Deciduous Forests (Tropical Dry Forests) are found north and south of the equator. They are generally found between 10 and 20 degrees North and 10 and 20 degrees South. Countries where this biome is found are Central India, Madagascar, New Caledonia,Mexico and Brazil.

2. Although the Temperate Deciduous Forest receives a fair amount of rainfall each year, it has a seasonal period of dryness where the trees drop their leaves. This biome generally has high temperatures all year. Humidity plays a large role in this biome. Due to the deciduous trees the soil is rich in nutrients, but it is subject to erosion. Due to the lack of canopy in the forest during the dry season, there is a high level of sunlight that shines down on the forest floor.

3. a. Some of the native species of the Tropical Deciduous Forest biome are the sloth bear, New Caledonia flying fox, and the fossa.

This is a picture of a Sloth Bear.

b. A nonnative species of the Tropical Deciduous Forest biome is the Marine Toad. It was introduced to control pests that ate crops. The toads turned out not being able to reach the insects and now eat everything they can get such as, dog food, and small mammals and amphibians. c. One of the indicator species of the Tropical Deciduous Forest biome is the White-throated Magpie-jay. This bird only lives in the trees of this biome. It is very sensitive to clear cutting of trees.

This is a picture of a White-throated Magpie-jay

d. One of the keystone species of the Tropical Deciduous Forest biome is the jaguar which keeps the herbivore population in check.

This is a picture of a Jaguar.

e. In this biome during the dry season animals use resource partitioning so that each can eat the leaves left on the trees. During the dry season some animals migrate to other areas constantly looking for new food resources. f. In this biome at least in central and south America the jaguar is the dominant predator. They eat a variety of different things such as tapirs, sloths and tortoises. The jaguar stalks its prey through the dense forest and then uses its powerful paws to knock its prey unconscious. The jaguar also has very powerful canine teeth which allows them to crack skulls and break tortoise shells. g. Parasitism, Ticks attach themselves to animals such as monkeys and suck blood from their hosts. Mutualism, In this biome monkeys practice grooming habitats which help them remove ticks and other insects from the hair of other monkeys. This provides a simple food source for monkeys as well as protection from harmful parasites. Commensalism, Epihytes grow on the sides of tall trees so that they are closer to the sunlight. They also have no roots so they collect water and nutrients from the air.

4. A large part of India is covered by Tropical Deciduous Forests. Environmentalists groups have done their best to pass a bill that promotes the preservation of forests. This bill was known as the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill. These groups attempted to rid the country of deforestation to ensure the natural well-being of the forests. The article discusses the multiple states of the Indian forests of the past few years and the efforts it took to pass the bill through the Indian Parliament. @http://www.indiatogether.org/2008/aug/env-campa.htm 360 degree view of a Tropical Deciduous Forest: @http://www.vivanatura.org/Mismaloya%20pano.html

=Sources:= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tropical_and_subtropical_dry_broadleaf_forests http://www.vivanatura.org/Mismaloya%20pano.html http://www.slideshare.net/mdonohue/tropical-dry-forest-biome# http://swisher.wikispaces.com/09+Tropical+Dry+Forest http://www.ehow.com/list_7397597_tropical-deciduous-forest-animals-plants.html http://www.marietta.edu/~biol/biomes/tropdry.htm http://www.interestinganimals.net/what_do_jaguars_eat/what_do_jaguars_eat.html http://www.saverfn.org/lessonssymb.html