In normal rainfall years, the soil retains sufficient moisture (8-10%) at
depths exceeding 2 m, well past the end of the rainy season (Fig. 1). This
allows for seedling root development into the long dry season. By the end
of the dry season, the profile is again depleted of soil moisture (3-4%). In
such an environment, tree species with aggressive taproots that can grow
past this drying zone would have an advantage.