Tumbes-Piura dry forests
RESOLVE 549
The Tumbes-Piura dry forests stretch along the Pacific side of the equator across southern Ecuador and northern Peru, occupying the lowlands, undulating hills, and Andean foothills of the Tumbes, Piura, Lambayeque, and Cajamarca regions between the ocean and the western slope of the Andes. These are seasonally dry forests whose trees shed their leaves once the rains end, with characteristic species including the kapok Ceiba trischistandra, algarrobo and mesquite (Prosopis), the aromatic palo santo (Bursera graveolens), yellow cordia (Cordia lutea), and scattered cacti. The climate is warm and arid, with average annual temperatures of about 24 to 27 degrees Celsius and a short rainy season from January to March that delivers roughly 100 to 500 millimeters before a long, well-defined dry season. The ecoregion forms part of the Tumbes-Chocó-Magdalena biodiversity hotspot and supports high endemism among birds and plants, with the grey-cheeked parakeet serving as its flagship species. For gardeners in hot, dry climates, several of its natives, such as yellow-flowered Cordia lutea and bougainvillea, are familiar ornamentals.
About the tropical & subtropical dry broadleaf forests biome
Tropical forests that pass through a pronounced dry season, when many trees drop their leaves to conserve water. They hold high biodiversity but are among the most threatened tropical habitats, sensitive to fire and to clearing for agriculture.
Collections for this ecoregion
No curated collection's plants all fit this ecoregion's zone range. We surface a collection only when every member would grow here — partial fits get filtered out rather than mislead. As the catalog and the curated set both grow, this section will fill in.