Tropical Climates and Ecosystems

The tropics are located between the Tropic of Cancer (23.4378 °N) and the Tropic of Capricorn (23.4378 °S)

In this belt, the sun will be directly overhead at least once per year.

Tropical Nations

Contrast with Temperate Zone

Areas where every month have mean temperatures above 18 °C (64 °F) are shown in blue below

Droughts may last for several months, and during this period trees will shed their leaves.

81°66°

82°70°

84°72°

86°73°

88°75°

88°75°

88°75°

88°75°

88°73°

86°72°

82°68°

81°68°

Belize annual average : 85°/72°

OKC annual average : 72°/51°

5.4” 2.4” 1.5” 2.2” 4.3” 7.7” 6.4” 6.7” 9.6” 12.0” 8.9” 7.3”

Belize annual average : 74.4”

OKC annual average : 36.5”

Belize - Daylight

Belize City Sunrise Sunset

January 6:23-6:25 17:30-17:47

February 6:12-6:25 17:48-17:59

March 5:50-6:11 17:59-18:05

April 5:27-5:47 18:06-18:13

May 5:17-5:27 18:13-18:23

June 5:17-5:22 18:23-18:31

July 5:22-5:32 18:27-18:31

August 5:32-5:39 18:07-18:26

September 5:39-5:43 17:43-18:07

October 5:43-5:51 17:22-17:42

November 5:52-6:07 17:16-17:21

December 6:07-6:23 17:17-17:28

Habitats

Forested habitatsSubmontane broadleaf forest

Lowland broadleaf forest

Submontane pine forest

Lowland pine forest

Mangrove and littoral forest

Transitional habitatsScrub, low second growth

Savanna (pine, oak, calabash, palmetto)

Other habitats

Unforested habitatsAnthropogenic

Cities/towns, cultivated land, pastureland

Wetlands with emergent vegetationSedge savannas, wet meadows,

marshes, ricefields

Submontane Broadleaf Forest

The forest cover in most of the Maya Mountains, generally above 400 m (1300’) elevation

Dominated by evergreen trees 25-35 m (80-115’) tall, typically with buttressed trunks

Lots of epiphytes, lianas, substory dominated by tree ferns, palms, other shrubs

Sparse understory vegetation

Lowland Broadleaf Forest

Similar to, but less luxuriant than, submontane broadleaf forest

Contains more dry-season deciduous tree species; significant leaf litter accumulates by end of dry season

Not dominated by a tree species; may encounter dense stands of cohune palm

Mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla), cedar (Cedrela mexicana), sapodilla (Manilkara zapota), ramon (Brosimum alicastrum), and figs (Ficus spp.) are common

Trees are often >100 ft tall

Submontane Pine Forest

Dominated by Caribbean pine (Pinus caribea) which require periodic low-intensity fires for regeneration

Canopy may be closed, or semi-closed

~11% of Belize is covered by pines – 2% is closed canopy, 3% semi-closed, 6% savannah/lowland pine

Lowland Pine Forest

Typically found in lowland areas with low nutrient soils

Often soggy during wet season, very dry during dry season

Ground cover dominated by grasses and sedges

Tree species include Caribbean pine (Pinus caribea), calabash (Cresentia cujete), oak (Quercus spp.), craboo (Byrsonima crassifolia) and the plametto (Paurotis wrightii).

“Forest” is a bit of a misnomer, as the canopy is not closed

Mangrove and Littoral Forest

Only four species of mangrove in Belize

Red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) is the pioneer species, has stilt roots

Black mangrove (Avicennia germinans) is found at the junction of water and land, has pneumatophores

White mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa) and buttonwood (Conocarpus erecta) grow further inland

Mangroves are the “nursery” of the sea