Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
5
Regional Expressions of Tropical
Seasonal Forests
Several types of seasonal forests occur in the three regional expressions of the Trop-
ical Seasonal Forest Biome in the Neotropics, Africa and Madagascar, and the
Asian Pacific. Tropical seasonal forests are accommodating environments for
humans, and large populations have settled into these regions. The role of humans
in changing the tropical seasonal forest is profound. The clearing and conversion
of tropical seasonal forests throughout the world make it the most threatened
biome. This chapter describes the regional expressions of the Tropical Seasonal
Forest Biome. Table 5.1 provides a quick comparison of the tropical seasonal forest
regions of the world.
Neotropical Seasonal Forests
Tropical seasonal forests in the Neotropics occur from Mexico to Argentina (see
Figure 5.1) and from sea level to 4,000 ft (1,200 m) elevation. The Neotropical
region can be divided into two main subregions: Mesoamerica and South America
(see Figure 5.2). Tropical seasonal forests in Mesoamerica include areas on the
Yucatan peninsula and in Central America along a narrow strip on the Pacific
coast from southern Mexico to Costa Rica. In Mesoamerica, the majority of sea-
sonal forests occur in the rainshadow of the mountains or on limestone soils
derived from marine sediments. Tropical seasonal forests also can be found in lim-
ited and fragmented distributions along the Atlantic in Belize and Honduras, and
on the Caribbean Islands of Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the
Lesser Antilles. The South American subregion includes the Caribbean coasts of
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