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Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests

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(Redirected from Eastern highlands moist deciduous forests) Ecoregion of India

Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests
Tropical moist deciduous forest in Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, Andhra Pradesh
Location of the ecoregion
Ecology
RealmIndomalayan
Biometropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Borders List
Bird species313
Geography
Area341,100 km (131,700 sq mi)
CountryIndia
States
Coordinates19°12′N 80°30′E / 19.200°N 80.500°E / 19.200; 80.500
Conservation
Conservation statusCritical/endangered
Protected3.97%

The Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests, presently known as East Deccan moist deciduous forests, is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion in east-central India. The ecoregion covers an area of 341,100 square kilometers (131,700 sq mi), extending across portions of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Telangana states.

Setting

The Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests extend from the Bay of Bengal coast in northern Andhra Pradesh and southern Orissa, across the northern portion of the Eastern Ghats range and the northeastern Deccan Plateau, to the eastern Satpura Range and the upper Narmada River valley.

The forests of the ecoregion are sustained by the moisture-bearing monsoon winds from the Bay of Bengal. The ecoregion is bounded on the north and west by tropical dry deciduous forest ecoregions, including the Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests to the southwest and west, the Narmada valley dry deciduous forests to the northwest, and the Chota Nagpur dry deciduous forests to the north and northeast. The drier Northern dry deciduous forests ecoregion, lying west of the Eastern Ghats range, is completely surrounded by the Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests, in the rain shadow of the Ghats, which partially block the moisture-laden monsoon winds off the Bay of Bengal. The humid Orissa semi-evergreen forests ecoregion lies to the northeast in the coastal lowlands of Orissa.

Flora

The ecoregion's forests are dominated by Sal (Shorea robusta), in association with Terminalia, Adina, Toona, Syzygium, Buchanania, Cleistanthus, and Anogeissus, according to soil variations. The flora of the ecoregion shares many species with the moist forests of the Western Ghats and the Eastern Himalayas, and also the thorn scrub forests of the Deccan plateau and the thar desert including with Aravalli West Thorn Scrub Forests

From the Western Ghats this includes plants like jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus), Cinnamomum cassia, Durio zibethinus, Garcinia mangostana, Ficus benghalensis, Gnetum gnemon, Mangifera indica, Toona ciliata, Toona sinensis, Cocos nucifera, Tetrameles nudiflora, Ginkgo biloba, Prunus serrulata, Camphora officinarum, Tsuga dumosa, Ulmus lanceifolia, Tectona grandis, Terminalia elliptica, Terminalia bellirica, Quercus acutissima, Juniperus communis, and several hu lianas such as Schefflera vine (Heptapleurum venulosum), joint fir (Gnetum edule), and common rattan.

From the Eastern Himalayas this includes the peculiar Indian pepper tree and several shrubs and trees such as Pinus roxburghii, Pinus hwangshanensis, Juniperus tibetica, Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata, Taxus sumatrana, Shorea robusta, Acer campbellii, Juglans regia, Alnus nepalensis, Betula alnoides, Betula utilis, Larix griffithii, Picea brachytyla, Cathaya argyrophylla, Taiwania cryptomerioides, Cyathea spinulosa, Sassafras tzumu, Davidia involucrata, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, Glyptostrobus pensilis, Castanea mollissima, Quercus myrsinifolia, Quercus acuta, Machilus thunbergii, Tetracentron, Cercidiphyllum japonicum, Emmenopterys henryi, Eucommia ulmoides, Juglans regia, Larix gmelinii, Larix sibirica, Larix × czekanowskii, Betula dahurica, Betula pendula, Pinus koraiensis, Pinus sibirica, Pinus sylvestris, Picea obovata, Abies sibirica, Quercus acutissima, Quercus mongolica, Ginkgo biloba, Prunus serrulata, Prunus padus, Tilia amurensis, Salix babylonica, Acer palmatum, Populus tremula, Ulmus davidiana, Ulmus pumila, Pinus pumila, Haloxylon ammodendron, Elaeagnus angustifolia, Tamarix ramosissima, Juniperus communis, and Prunus sibirica, herbs and flowers such as yellow Himalayan raspberry, false nettle (Boehmeria macrophylla), and whipcord cobra lily among others.

From the Deccan Plateau and the Thar Desert this includes the Balanites roxburghii, Senegalia senegal, Prosopis cineraria, Vachellia jacquemontii, Vachellia nilotica, Capparis decidua, Capparis zeylanica, Cordia sinensis, Tamarix aphylla, Ziziphus nummularia, Ziziphus jujuba, Corylus avellana, Ziziphus spina-christi, Olea europaea, Balanites aegyptiaca, Cupressus sempervirens, Vachellia tortilis, Phoenix canariensis, Phoenix dactylifera, Phoenix sylvestris, Salix alba, Populus alba, Populus nigra, Quercus coccifera, Quercus ilex, Quercus pubescens, Pistacia atlantica, Pistacia terebinthus, Pinus pinea,Pinus nigra, Ceratonia siliqua, Arbutus unedo, Erica arborea, Laurus nobilis, Vachellia flava, Pinus halepensis, Aerva javanica, Prunus amygdalus, Juglans regia, Juniperus communis, and many species of acacia, Capparis, Prosopis

Several globally threatened plant species are found in this ecoregion, including the two endemic plants Leucas mukerjiana and Phlebophyllum jeyporensis.

  • Inside a tropical moist deciduous forest Inside a tropical moist deciduous forest
  • Sal trees are common in these forests Sal trees are common in these forests
  • Characteristic yellow-white sal-flowers in winter coincides with leaffall Characteristic yellow-white sal-flowers in winter coincides with leaffall
  • Terminalia, and especially asna trees (Indian laurel), are also common. Terminalia, and especially asna trees (Indian laurel), are also common.
  • Bamboo, especially calcutta bamboo, is prominent in many parts of this ecoregion Bamboo, especially calcutta bamboo, is prominent in many parts of this ecoregion
  • Plants in common with the Western Ghats includes several types of lianas (Joint Fir). Plants in common with the Western Ghats includes several types of lianas (Joint Fir).
  • Plants in common with the Eastern Himalayas spans a wide range of species (Indian pepper tree) Plants in common with the Eastern Himalayas spans a wide range of species (Indian pepper tree)

Fauna

Tiger in Kanha National Park

The ecoregion still harbours large intact areas of tropical moist deciduous forest and is an important refuge for healthy populations of most of the original large vertebrates associated with this habitat. Large mammals include the predators Indian tiger, wolf, dhole, and sloth bear, and the herbivores gaur, chousingha, blackbuck, and chinkara. The Asian elephants that once lived were extirpated long ago.

The only endemic species found in the ecoregion is the cave-dwelling Khajuria's leaf-nosed bat.

  • Sloth bears are here Sloth bears are here
  • Indian bison (gaur) is present in parts of this ecoregion Indian bison (gaur) is present in parts of this ecoregion
  • Several kinds of antilope and deer species live in this ecoregion (Chousingha) Several kinds of antilope and deer species live in this ecoregion (Chousingha)
  • Pallas's fish-eagle, a globally threatened species, is living here Pallas's fish-eagle, a globally threatened species, is living here
  • Green avadavat, a globally threatened species, has found a refuge in this ecoregion Green avadavat, a globally threatened species, has found a refuge in this ecoregion

Conservation

View from a dam in Kinnersani Wildlife Sanctuary in Telangana
Palpala River near lulung, Similipal National Park in Odhisha

Approximately 25% of the original habitat remains, much of it in blocks of 5000 km or larger. 31 protected areas, totaling 13,540 km, preserve about 4% of the ecoregion's intact habitat. The largest protected area in the ecoregion is Simlipal National Park in Odisha state.

See also

References

  1. "Eastern highlands moist deciduous forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund.
  2. Dinerstein, Eric; Olson, David; Joshi, Anup; Vynne, Carly; Burgess, Neil D.; Wikramanayake, Eric; Hahn, Nathan; Palminteri, Suzanne; Hedao, Prashant; Noss, Reed; Hansen, Matt (June 2017). "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm". BioScience. 67 (6): 534–545. doi:10.1093/biosci/bix014. ISSN 0006-3568. PMC 5451287. PMID 28608869.
  3. Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Island Press; Washington, DC. pp. 306-308

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