Irrawaddy moist deciduous forests

Last updated
Irrawaddy moist deciduous forests
Unnamed2 - panoramio (5193).jpg
Road in Amarapura, outside of Mandalay
Ecoregion IM0117.png
Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
Realm Indomalayan realm
Biome tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Borders
Geography
Area137,909 km2 (53,247 sq mi)
Country Myanmar
Administrative divisions
Conservation
Conservation status vulnerable
Protected4,359 km² (3%) [1]

The Irrawaddy moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in central Myanmar. The ecoregion occupies the central basin of the Irrawaddy River and the lower basin of the Salween River. The ecoregion is characterized by forests of tall trees which drop their leaves in the dry season. Most of the ecoregion's forests have been converted to agriculture.

Contents

Geography

The Irrawaddy moist deciduous forests occupy an area of 137,909 km². The ecoregion lies in central Myanmar, on low hills and undulating lowlands in the basins of the Irrawaddy and Salween rivers. The larger portion of the ecoregion is in the basin of the Irrawaddy and its tributaries, and the upper basin of the Sittaung River. It is bounded by the Mizoram–Manipur–Kachin rain forests on the southwest and north, and the Chin Hills–Arakan Yoma montane forests in Chin Hills and Arakan Mountains to the west. The Pegu Range lies to the east, home to subtropical and montane forests. The Myanmar coastal rain forests lie to the south.

A smaller area lies to the southeast in the lower basin of the Salween and Gyaing rivers. It is bounded on the west and northwest by the Myanmar coastal rain forests, and on the east by the Kayah-Karen montane rain forests.

The moist deciduous forests surround enclaves of Irrawaddy dry forests, which occur in areas with less than 800 mm of annual rainfall. [2]

Flora

The forests are characterized by dry-season deciduous trees which form a tall continuous canopy. Dominant tree species are teak (Tectona grandis) and Pyinkado (Xylia xylocarpa var. kerrii), with Terminalia tomentosa, Terminalia belerica, Terminalia pyrifolia, Homalium tomentosum, Bombax insigne, Gmelina arborea, Lannea grandis, Lannea coromandelica, Pterocarpus macrocarpus, Millettia pendula, Berrya ammonilla, Mitragyna rotundifolia, Cinnamomum cassia, Durio zibethinus, Garcinia mangostana, Artocarpus heterophyllus, Ficus benghalensis, Gnetum gnemon, Mangifera indica, Toona sinensis, Cocos nucifera, Tetrameles nudiflora, Ginkgo biloba, Shorea robusta, Prunus serrulata, Camphora officinarum, Tsuga dumosa, Ulmus lanceifolia, Nypa fruticans,, and species of Vitex . The evergreen canopy forests are interspersed with stands of bamboo, and occasional large evergreen trees. [3]

Fauna

The ecoregion is home to several large mammals, including Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), gaur (Bos gaurus), Himalayan black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus), sun bear (Helarctos malayanus), Sambar deer (Cervus unicolor) Mainland serow (Capricornis milneedwardsii), Indian hog deer (Hyelaphus porcinus), dhole (Cuon alpinus), Asian golden cat (Catopuma temminckii), marbled cat (Pardofelis marmorata), leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis), masked palm civet (Paguma larvata), binturong (Arctictis binturong), spotted linsang (Prionodon pardicolor), and capped langur (Trachypithecus pileatus). [4]

Protected areas

A 2017 assessment found that 4,359 km², or 3%, of the ecoregion is in protected areas. Another 4% is forested but outside protected areas. [5]

Protected areas include Alaungdaw Kathapa National Park, Kyatthin Wildlife Sanctuary, Minwuntaung Wildlife Sanctuary, Moeyungyi Wetland Wildlife Sanctuary, and Shwesettaw Wildlife Sanctuary.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malabar Coast moist forests</span> Ecoregion in India

The Malabar Coast moist forests are a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests</span> Ecoregion in India

The North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests</span> Ecoregion in India

The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is an ecoregion in the Western Ghats of southern India with tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests. This biome covers the Nilgiri Hills between elevation of 250 and 1,000 m in Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Western Ghats montane rain forests</span> Ecoregion in the Indian Peninsula

The North Western Ghats montane rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern Indian peninsula. It covers an area of 30,900 square kilometers (11,900 sq mi), extending down the spine of the Western Ghauts range, from southernmost Gujarat through Damaon, Maharashtra, Goa & Karnataka. The montane rain forests are found above 1000 meters elevation, and are surrounded at lower elevations by the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests</span> Ecoregion in India

The South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests is a tropical dry forest ecoregion in southern India. The ecoregion lies in the southernmost portion of the Deccan Plateau, and includes the southernmost portion of the Eastern Ghats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern dry deciduous forests</span> Ecoregion of India

The Northern dry deciduous forests, presently known as the North Deccan dry deciduous forests, is a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion of east-central India.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests</span> Ecoregion in India

The Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests are a tropical dry forest ecoregion of central India. The ecoregion lies mostly in Madhya Pradesh state, but extends into portions of Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mizoram–Manipur–Kachin rain forests</span> Ecoregion in Indochina

The Mizoram–Manipur–Kachin rain forests is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion which occupies the lower hillsides of the mountainous border region joining Bangladesh, China's Yunnan Province, India, and Myanmar. The ecoregion covers an area of 135,600 square kilometres (52,400 sq mi). Located where the biotas of the Indian Subcontinent and the Indochinese Peninsula meet, and in the transition between subtropical and tropical regions of Asia, the Mizoram–Manipur–Kachin rain forests are home to great biodiversity. The WWF rates the ecoregion as "Globally Outstanding" in biological distinctiveness.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Halmahera rain forests</span> Ecoregion in Halmahera, Indonesia

The Halmahera rain forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in Indonesia. The ecoregion includes the island of Halmahera and neighboring islands, including Bacan, Morotai, the Obi Islands, Ternate, Tidore, Gebe, and many smaller islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timor and Wetar deciduous forests</span> Ecoregion in Indonesia and East Timor

The Timor and Wetar deciduous forests is a tropical dry forest ecoregion in Indonesia and East Timor. The ecoregion includes the islands of Timor, Wetar, Rote, Savu, and adjacent smaller islands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irrawaddy dry forests</span> Ecoregion in Myanmar

The Irrawaddy dry forests is a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion in central Myanmar. The ecoregion occupies portions of the Irrawaddy, Sittaung, and Salween river basins, in areas with less than 800 mm of annual rainfall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tenasserim–South Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests</span> Ecoregion on Mainland Southeast Asia

The Tenasserim–South Thailand semi-evergreen rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on Mainland Southeast Asia. The ecoregion extends north–south along the Kra Isthmus. It includes lowland forests along the coasts, and montane forests on the Tenasserim Hills and Bilauktaung range, which form the mountainous spine of the isthmus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peninsular Malaysian rain forests</span> Ecoregion on the Malay Peninsula

The Peninsular Malaysian rain forests is an ecoregion on the Malay Peninsula and adjacent islands. It is in the tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests biome.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kayah–Karen montane rain forests</span> Ecoregion on Mainland Southeast Asia

The Kayah–Karen montane rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on Mainland Southeast Asia. The montane rain forests cover several connected mountain ranges, including the Daen Lao Range, the Dawna Range, the Karen Hills, the Khun Tan Range, and the Thanon Thong Chai Range.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myanmar coastal rain forests</span> Ecoregion on Mainland Southeast Asia

The Myanmar coastal rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on Mainland Southeast Asia. The ecoregion occupies Myanmar's coastal lowlands along the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chao Phraya lowland moist deciduous forests</span> Ecoregion in Central Thailand

The Chao Phraya lowland moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion in Thailand. The ecoregion occupies the coastal lowlands along the Gulf of Thailand lying east and west of the Chao Phraya River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern New Guinea lowland rain forests</span> Ecoregion in New Guinea

The Southern New Guinea lowland rain forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in southeastern New Guinea. The ecoregion covers portions of New Guinea's southern lowlands.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests</span> Ecoregion in New Guinea

The Southern New Guinea freshwater swamp forests is a tropical moist forest ecoregion in southern New Guinea. The ecoregion includes the extensive swamp forests of southern and western New Guinea.

References

  1. Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b.
  2. Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Washington, DC: Island Press.
  3. Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Washington, DC: Island Press.
  4. Wikramanayake, Eric; Eric Dinerstein; Colby J. Loucks; et al. (2002). Terrestrial Ecoregions of the Indo-Pacific: a Conservation Assessment. Washington, DC: Island Press.
  5. Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b.