Much human impact, far more than rain forests. Often transition between forest and prairie or forest and desert. No sharp line between tropical dry forest and tropical savannas. Have a wet and dry season, but wet season is usually shorter than the dry. Most of the plants are adapted to fire, which is frequent.
Plants are either fire resistant or resprout.
Soils of low to moderate fertility, subject to erosion. Precip more or less evenly distributed through the year, with a moist growing season of at least 4 mo. Many spring ephemerals, perennials that do their growing in spring before the trees leaf out. Most of eastern N. Amer. May have rich soils, but conifers can grow on poorer soils than decid.