Eastern Ghats moist deciduous forests

Eastern Ghats moist deciduous forests
Name	Eastern Ghats moist deciduous forests
Biome	Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Country	India
States	Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Telangana
Conservation	Vulnerable

Eastern Ghats moist deciduous forests The Eastern Ghats moist deciduous forests form a discontinuous belt of India's eastern highlands, spanning parts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Telangana. These forests lie along ancient ranges adjacent to the Bay of Bengal coast and interdigitate with the Deccan Plateau, Eastern Highlands, and riverine systems such as the Godavari River and Krishna River. The region supports a mosaic of habitats that connect to adjoining ecoregions like the Northeast India subtropical forests and the South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests.

Geography and extent

The ecoregion occupies the eroded hills and valleys of the Eastern Ghats, including ranges near Visakhapatnam, Vellore, Kalahasti, and the Nallamalai Hills. It extends from the Mahanadi River delta southwards past the Cauvery River basin and borders lowland plains such as the Kaveri Delta. Major urban centers adjacent to the forests include Bhubaneswar, Vijayawada, Chennai, and Tirupati. Geological substrates include Precambrian charnockite and granulite terrains documented in studies associated with institutions like the Geological Survey of India and universities such as the Indian Institute of Science.

Climate and ecoregion characteristics

Monsoon-driven climate patterns from the Southwest Monsoon and the Northeast Monsoon create a bimodal rainfall regime affecting locales from Pondicherry to Visakhapatnam. Annual precipitation varies widely, influenced by rainshadow effects from the Western Ghats and orographic uplift near coastal escarpments, recorded by agencies including the India Meteorological Department and researchers at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology. Temperature and seasonality favor moist deciduous canopies with distinct dry seasons noted in regional studies by the Botanical Survey of India and ecologists at the Wildlife Institute of India.

Flora

Vegetation is dominated by deciduous and semi-evergreen assemblages historically described by botanists from the Calcutta Botanical Garden and the Madras Herbarium (MBG). Typical canopy species include genera like Tectona (teak), Terminalia, Pterocarpus, Shorea, and Anogeissus alongside understorey elements such as Diospyros, Syzygium, and Ficus species recorded in floras compiled by the Botanical Survey of India. Endemic and range-restricted taxa appear in montane pockets; herbaria collections at the Indian Museum (Kolkata) and the National Botanical Research Institute document species of conservation concern. Bamboo clumps and grassland interfaces harbor species studied by researchers at the Central Rice Research Institute and the Forest Research Institute.

Fauna

Faunal assemblages include large mammals such as Indian elephants and Bengal tigers reported in corridor studies led by Wildlife Trust of India and the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Other mammals include Indian leopards, sloth bears, and ungulates like sambar deer and chital. Avifauna recorded by ornithologists at the Bombay Natural History Society and the BNHS includes Indian peafowl, Malabar pied hornbill, and migratory species using wetlands near Pulicat Lake and estuaries like the Krishna estuary. Herpetofauna and invertebrates have been catalogued by researchers at the Zoological Survey of India and universities such as Andhra University.

Human populations and land use

Indigenous and local communities, including scheduled tribes documented by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and demographic surveys from the Census of India, inhabit the region around market towns like Anantapur and pilgrimage centers such as Tirupati. Agricultural landscapes dominated by rice, millet, and pulses interface with forest fragments; irrigation projects on rivers like the Godavari and Krishna have reshaped land cover as reported by the Central Water Commission. Commercial forestry, small-scale mining for minerals noted by the Coal India Limited and stone quarrying near Vellore have altered habitats. Socioeconomic initiatives by organizations such as the National Rural Livelihood Mission and the United Nations Development Programme have influenced land-use dynamics.

Conservation and threats

Primary threats include habitat fragmentation from infrastructure corridors like the Golden Quadrilateral and mining concessions adjudicated by the Ministry of Mines, invasive species documented in reports from the Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education, and poaching networks investigated by agencies such as the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau. Climate change projections from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and national assessments by the National Action Plan on Climate Change indicate altered precipitation patterns affecting regeneration. Conservation NGOs including WWF-India and policy mechanisms under the Indian Forest Act and Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 guide protection strategies, while legal disputes over land use have involved courts like the Supreme Court of India.

Protected areas and restoration efforts

Protected landscapes include national parks and wildlife sanctuaries managed by state forest departments, such as Simlipal National Park (adjoining zones), Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve, and Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary, with oversight and research partnerships involving the Project Tiger initiative and institutions like the Wildlife Institute of India. Restoration projects employ native species propagated in nurseries supported by the Forest Survey of India and community-led reforestation coordinated with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Connectivity projects seek to establish corridors between fragments following models used by international organizations like IUCN and funded initiatives by the Global Environment Facility and bilateral programs with the World Bank.

Category:Ecoregions of India