Research Priorities for Neotropical Dry Forests¹

Abstract

Our understanding of the human and biophysical dimensions of tropical dry forest change and its cumulative effects is still in the early stages of academic discovery. The papers in this special section on Neotropical dry forests cover a wide range of sites and problems ranging from the use of multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing platforms to the impact of hurricanes on tropical dry forest regeneration. Here, we present to the scientific community the results of a workshop on which research priorities for tropical dry forests were discussed. This discussion focuses on the need to develop linkages between remote sensing, ecological, and social science research. The incorporation of social sciences into ecological research could contribute dramatically to our understandings of tropical dry forests by providing important contextual information to ecologists, and by helping to develop an important science–policy–public nexus on which environmental management can succeed.

Climate change effects on the geographic distribution of specialist tree species of the Brazilian tropical dry forests

“…Although this vegetation type can tolerate numerous months with very dry and harsh environmental conditions, it does requires minimal access to water resources, with at least a few months of seasonal rainfall (Mooney et al, 1995;Sánchez-Azofeifa et al, 2005). This limited rainy period is crucial to photosynthesis, growth and resource allocation to reproduction (e.g., flowers and fruit production) (Mooney et al, 1995).…”

“…The two largest continuous areas of this vegetation type are located in South America: one in northeastern Brazil (e.g., Caatinga region), and the other covering southeastern Bolivia and Paraguay and northern Argentina (Miles et al, 2006;Portillo-Quintero and Sánchez-Azofeifa, 2010), and these two sites represent 54.2% of the total area of remnant SDTFs in the world (Miles et al, 2006). These forests are dominated by deciduous trees with average annual temperature ≥ 25 °C, the total annual rainfall ranges between 700 and 2000 mm, and there is a minimum dry period of three months (rainfall < 100 mm/month) (Sánchez-Azofeifa et al, 2005). Severe climatic changes are predicted to occur between 2040 and 2069 in South America, and likely will affect the distribution of seasonal ecosystems due to increases in aridity (Miles et al, 2006), reinforcing the urgency of studies in order to determine the potential distribution of Brazilian SDTFs.…”

Landslide early succession in a neotropical dry forest

“…In the rain and cloud forests of Central America and the Caribbean, vegetation recoveries on landslides have been well studied (Dalling 1994;Garwood 1985;Guariguata 1990;Myster 1993;Restrepo and Á lvarez 2006;Walker et al 1996), but those in tropical dry forests have not received similar attention (Lundgren 1978). The unique characteristics, the accelerated rate of degradation and transformation and a deficit in our understanding of them, make research a priority in conservation and management of tropical dry forest ecosystems (Bawa et al 2004;Sanchez-Azofeifa et al 2005).…”

Change in herbivore insect communities from adjacent habitats in a transitional region

“…Thus, during the dry season, most trees of those forests lose leaves, diminishing connectivity between the vertical strata and tree crowns, getting structurally more simplified for herbivores. Therefore, herbivore insects experience an annual predictable period of lack of food resources and habitat simplification (Aide 1992;Sánchez-Azofeifa et al 2005;Silva et al 2012;Neves et al 2014). In these periods, when the resources are scarce and the abiotic conditions are stressful, herbivore insects could have different survival strategies, such as using other food resources available (e.g., flowers, seeds) (Novotny et al 2003), go on diapause until the environmental conditions return favorable (Wolda 1988;Delinger et al 1991), or move to more favorable adjacent habitats to search for resources (Janzen 1981;Basset et al 2003a).…”