Soil Moisture Budgets
- Precipitation is much higher than potential evapotranspiration during the wet season.
- High rainfall totals result in saturation of the soil, some of the moisture can be utilised by vegetation.
- A soil moisture deficit occurs by January, deciduous trees lose their leaves in response to drought conditions.
- The period of moisture deficit is shorter then that experienced in the tropical savanna biome.
- The months of surplus during the wet monsoon season result in the leaching of bases and silica and very little humus can develop in the top layers.
Adaptations by Vegetation and Animals
- The canopy is not continuous, tallest trees are smaller, provide an incomplete cover.
- This means there is less competition for light, allowing greater development of vegetation at lower levels.
- Fewer species of trees, common species are sal, pyinkado and teak all of which are economically valuable.
- Trees do not possess buttress roots and they develop large round crowns.
- The bark is often thick, to protect them from the harsh climate of the dry season, leaves are thin.
- Deciduous trees shed their leaves in response to a lack of moisture, to reduce transpiration during the dry season, this allows the light to reach the forest floor, leads to the development of dense undergrowth.
Impact of Human Activity
- Tropical monsoon forests are fragile ecosystems, following deforestation almost impossible for existing food webs to continue, all trophic levels are affected, results in massive decrease in natural vegetation.
- Removal of monsoon forests due to increasing population pressure.
- Deforestation due to agricultural land and fuel wood due to rapidly increasing population.
- Teak has been exploited for export to developed countries, many indigenous species are endangered.