| Central Indochina dry forests | |
|---|---|
 Landscape of the Phi Pan Nam Range. | |
 Map of the Central Indochina dry forests ecoregion | |
| Ecology | |
| Realm | Indomalayan |
| Biome | tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests |
| Borders | List
|
| Geography | |
| Area | 444,000 km2 (171,000 sq mi) |
| Countries | |
| Conservation | |
| Conservation status | vulnerable |
The Central Indochina dry forests are a large tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests ecoregion in Southeast Asia.
The ecoregion consists of an area of plateau and low river basin in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, Vietnam and Myanmar and includes:
These are the drier areas of Indochina with 1,000-1,500 mm rainfall per year and a long dry season when regular fires occur in the undergrowth, some set intentionally to clear the forest or drive out wildlife for hunters.
Great swathes of this ecoregion are densely populated and are used for agriculture or urban development, especially in Thailand.
While some large areas do remain in northeastern Cambodia, much of the original deciduous dipterocarp forest has presently been cleared, especially in Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam. The remaining woodlands consist of a variety of types of habitats and consequently a wide range of trees and undergrowth plants.
The remaining forests are home to some large mammals including Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), Eld's deer (Cervus eldii) and three species of wild cattle the gaur (Bos gaurus), the banteng (Bos javanicus) and the kouprey (Bos sauveli). Large herds of these grazing animals were once widespread across the region and were preyed upon by tigers (Panthera tigris), clouded leopard (Felis nebulosa), leopards (Panthera pardus) and dhole (wild dogs) (Cuon alpinus). Both loss of habitat and hunting have seriously reduced numbers of all these animals many of which are endangered with the kouprey very rare and other species such as the Javan rhinoceros (Rhinoceros sondaicus), Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) and Schomburgk's deer (Cervus duvaucelli schomburgki) now extinct in the region.
Other mammals of the region include the pileated gibbon, two leaf monkeys (the silvery lutung and Phayre's leaf monkey), and the sun bear while there are two endemic species, both are vesper bats - the Szechwan myotis (Myotis altarium) and the Chinese pipistrelle (Pipistrellus pulveratus).
There are 500 species of bird in the region including the critically endangered and possibly extinct white-eyed river martin (Pseudochelidon sirintarae), the endemic grey-faced tit-babbler (Macronous kelleyi) and the endangered or threatened Bengal florican (Eupodotis bengalensis), greater adjutant (Leptoptilos dubius) and white-shouldered ibis (Pseudibis davisoni). Other birds of the remaining woodlands of the area include the silver pheasant (Lophura nycthemera), Siamese fireback (Lophura diardi), Mrs. Hume's pheasant (Syrmaticus humiae), grey peacock-pheasant (Polyplectron bicalcaratum), sarus crane (Grus antigone), great hornbill (Buceros bicornis), Austen's brown hornbill (Anorrhinus austeni), and wreathed hornbill (Aceros undulatus).
The reptile and amphibian populations require further study but most likely include endemic species such as a critically endangered Cantor's giant soft-shelled turtle ( Pelochelys cantorii ), two geckos (the dtella, Gehyra lacerata and the sandstone gecko, Gekko petricolus ) and the Korat supple skink (Lygosoma koratense).
Active preservation is required to keep large tracts of the remaining habitat intact and connected rather than being broken into small patches. This is particularly important for the survival of the remaining tiger populations in the wild. About 6% of the area is protected with the largest areas including Kulen Promtep Wildlife Sanctuary, Lomphat Wildlife Sanctuary and Phnom Prich in Cambodia and Xe Piane National Biodiversity Conservation Area in Laos.
Eld's deer, also known as the thamin or brow-antlered deer, is an endangered species of deer endemic to South and Southeast Asia.
The kouprey, also known as the forest ox and grey ox, is a possibly extinct species of forest-dwelling wild bovine native to Southeast Asia. The name kouprey, derived from the Khmer language, means "forest ox".
The Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in Thailand in the northern part of Kanchanaburi Province and the southern part of Tak Province. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1972, and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1991 together with the adjoining Huai Kha Khaeng Wildlife Sanctuary.
Cát Tiên National Park is a national park located in the south of Vietnam, in the provinces of Đồng Nai, Bình Phước and Lâm Đồng. It is approximately 150 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. It has an area of about 720 km2 and protects one of the largest areas of lowland tropical forests left in Vietnam. Since 2011, Cát Tiên National Park has been a part of Đồng Nai Biosphere Reserve.
The Cardamom Mountains, or the Krâvanh Mountains, is a mountain range in the south west of Cambodia and Eastern Thailand. The majority of the range is within Cambodia.
The Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests is a tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests ecoregion of northern India.
The Brahmaputra Valley semi-evergreen forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of Northeastern India, southern Bhutan and adjacent Bangladesh.
The Northern Indochina subtropical forests are a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of northern Indochina, covering portions of Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, and China's Yunnan Province.
The wildlife of Vietnam is rich in flora and fauna as reflected by its unique biodiversity. Rare and endemic antelope-like animal, categorized under the bovine subfamily, was found in 1992, in Bạch Mã National Park. In the 1990s, three other large mammal species, the deer-like Truong Son muntjac, giant muntjac and Pu Hoat muntjac, were also discovered, the first two in the same park. Conservation protection and scientific studies of the ecology of Vietnam, particularly in the protected forest areas, have been given priority attention by the Government of Vietnam. Laws were enacted to set up Xuân Thủy Wetland National Park, four UNESCO Biosphere Reserves, and Hạ Long Bay and Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Parks; the last two are also designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
The wildlife of Laos encompasses the animals and plants found in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, a landlocked country in southeastern Asia. Part of the country is mountainous and much of it is still clad in tropical broadleaf forest. It has a great variety of animal and plant species.
The Southeastern Indochina dry evergreen forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion of Indochina.
The Cardamom Mountains rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in Southeast Asia, as identified by the WWF. The ecoregion covers the Cardamom Mountains and Elephant Mountains and the adjacent coastal lowlands in eastern Thailand and southwestern Cambodia, as well as the Vietnamese island of Dao Phu Quoc.
The Indochina mangroves are a large mangrove ecoregion on the coasts of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia in Southeast Asia.
The Peninsular Malaysian rain forests is an ecoregion on Malay Peninsula and adjacent islands. It is in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome.
The Peninsular Malaysian montane rain forests is an ecoregion on Malay Peninsula. It occupies the mountainous spine of the peninsula in Malaysia and southernmost Thailand. It is in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome.
The Kayah–Karen montane rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in Myanmar and Thailand. The montane rain forests cover several connected mountain ranges, including the Dawna Range, Karen Hills, Thanon Thong Chai Range, Daen Lao Range, and Khun Tan Range.
The Myanmar coastal rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in Myanmar. The ecoregion occupies Myanmar's coastal lowlands along the Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea.
The Luang Prabang montane rain forests ecoregion covers elevations over 800 meters in the Luang Prabang mountains that straddle the border between northern Thailand and north-central Laos, and the highlands that stretch eastward across north-central Laos. While much of the forest cover has been degraded, there are still large areas of relatively untouched forest.
The Southern Annamites montane rain forests ecoregion covers a region of high biodiversity in the central and southern mountains of the Annamite Range in Vietnam. Terrain ranges from wet lowland forest to evergreen hardwood and conifer montane rain forest. There is a short dry season centered on January–February, but fog and dew are common throughout the year and support a lush forest character.