Disentangling the relative roles of biotic and abiotic forces influencing forest structure function and local community composition continues to be an important goal in ecology. Here utilizing two forest surveys 20-year apart from a Central American dry tropical forest we assess the relative role of past disturbance and local climatic change in the form of increased drought in driving forest dynamics. We observe: (i) a net decrease in the number of trees; (ii) a decrease in total forest biomass by 7.7 Mg ha