Forest resistance to drought in a humid tropical dipterocarp forest in the Western Ghats of India

Abstract

Droughts are linked to tree die-offs in the biodiverse humid tropics. We assessed drought response of a Dipterocarp Forest and found a marginal decrease in tree survival, indicating drought resistance. Understory and emergent species were sensitive to drought. Urgent focus is needed to understand drought impacts and plant physiological responses in South Asian forests.