Importance of rainfall highlighted for tropical animals
Date:August 25, 2020Source:University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental SciencesSummary:Imagine a tropical forest, and you might conjure up tall trees hung with vines, brightly colored birds, howling monkeys, and ... rain. Indeed, precipitation patterns, along with temperature, dictate where tropical forests are distributed around the world, but surprisingly, scientists know very little about the direct effects of rainfall on animals. A new conceptual framework calls for the scientific community to formally consider the role of precipitation in an organism's ecological niche.