Response of Tropical Dry Forest Tree Species to Resource Variability

The emergence, establishment and growth of tree seedlings face very heterogeneous situations in tropical dry forests (TDFs). The pronounced seasonality in soil moisture availability affects the patterns of seed production, germination, survival and seedling development in plants. Light conditions vary seasonally in understorey of these forests, thereby affecting the growth of species components growing there. The patchy distribution and pulsation of nutrient release in the nutrient poor soils of these forests further restricts the growth of plants spatially and temporally. The plants in TDFs, therefore, exhibit a variation in life- history characteristics, which in combination modulate the response of species to these environmental drivers. Furthermore, interactions among these environmental drivers are a regular feature of natural ecosystems, and have a great significance in shaping of the community structure and dynamics. The book explores the response of TDF tree seedlings to the combined effect of resources i.e. light, water and nutrient. The findings will augment understanding of the researchers in plant ecology especially working in tropical dry forests.