Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests
Encyclopedia
The Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests is a large Tropical dry broadleaf forest
ecoregion
of southern India
, containing large protected areas of natural habitat of the tiger.
range to the west, the Eastern Ghats
to the east, and the western Satpura Range
to the north. The Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests occupy an area of 240200 square kilometres (92,741.7 sq mi) in which the dominant natural habitat is or was woodland of Hardwickia binata and Albizia amara trees, located on the central and southern portion of the plateau. The ecoregion lies mostly within the states of Maharashtra
and Andhra Pradesh
, extending into adjacent parts of Madhya Pradesh
and Chhattisgarh
states. In Maharashtra, the Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests cover most of the Vidarbha
region, including the city of Nagpur
. In Andhra Pradesh, the dry deciduous forests cover much of the Telingana region, including Hyderabad, the state capital, with a small portion extending across the Eastern Ghats to the Arabian Sea in Krishna District
.
The xeric
Deccan thorn scrub forests
lie to the west, south, and southeast, covering the drier portions of the plateau in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats
. The more humid Eastern highlands moist deciduous forests
lie to the northeast and east, while the Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests
lie across the Satpuras to the northwest.
The Godavari River
crosses the ecoregion from its source in the Western Ghats and indeed most of the rivers on the plateau drain east towards the Bay of Bengal
, with the exception of the Tapti River
in the northwestern corner of the plateau, which drains westward into the Arabian Sea
.
This is a highly populated area and most of the natural forest in the ecoregion has been cleared for firewood or grazing land or as a result of river damming, all of whicg are ongoing. However large blocks of original habitat such as the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserves
in Andhra Pradesh do remain.
(Tetracerus quadricornis, chinkara
(Gazella bennettii) and blackbuck
(Antilope cervicapra) to the large Gaur
and Wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), and most importantly the tigers (Panthera tigris) that prey on them as well as the Dhole
(wild dog) (Cuon alpinus), Sloth Bear
(Melursus ursinus) and other carnivores. In total the area is home to nearly ninety mammal species. Some of the larger species mentioned here are rare as is the threatened Indian giant squirrel
(Ratufa indica). The 300 species of birds include the globally threatened Jerdon's Courser
, which was rediscovered in 1986 having been thought extinct for nearly a hundred years.
Tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
The tropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forest biome, also known as tropical dry forest, is located at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Though these forests occur in climates that are warm year-round, and may receive several hundred centimeters of rain per year, they have long dry seasons...
ecoregion
Ecoregion
An ecoregion , sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area that is smaller than an ecozone and larger than an ecosystem. Ecoregions cover relatively large areas of land or water, and contain characteristic, geographically distinct assemblages of natural...
of southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, containing large protected areas of natural habitat of the tiger.
Setting
The Deccan Plateau is a large triangular plateau in southern India, bounded by the Western GhatsWestern Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
range to the west, the Eastern Ghats
Eastern Ghats
The Eastern Ghats or Eastern Ghauts are a discontinuous range of mountains along India's eastern coast. The Eastern Ghats run from West Bengal state in the north, through Orissa and Andhra Pradesh to Tamil Nadu in the south passing some parts of Karnataka. They are eroded and cut through by the...
to the east, and the western Satpura Range
Satpura Range
The Satpura Range is a range of hills in central India. The range rises in eastern Gujarat state near the Arabian Sea coast, running east through Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh to Chhattisgarh. The range parallels the Vindhya Range to the north, and these two east-west ranges divide the...
to the north. The Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests occupy an area of 240200 square kilometres (92,741.7 sq mi) in which the dominant natural habitat is or was woodland of Hardwickia binata and Albizia amara trees, located on the central and southern portion of the plateau. The ecoregion lies mostly within the states of Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
and Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
, extending into adjacent parts of Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
and Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
states. In Maharashtra, the Central Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests cover most of the Vidarbha
Vidarbha
Vidarbha is the eastern region of Maharashtra state made up of Nagpur Division and Amravati Division. Its former name is Berar . It occupies 31.6% of total area and holds 21.3% of total population of Maharashtra...
region, including the city of Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
. In Andhra Pradesh, the dry deciduous forests cover much of the Telingana region, including Hyderabad, the state capital, with a small portion extending across the Eastern Ghats to the Arabian Sea in Krishna District
Krishna district
Krishna District is a district of India's Andhra Pradesh state. It is named after the Krishna River, the third longest river that flows within India, flows through the district and joins Bay of Bengal here in this district. It has a population of 4,529,009 of which 32.08% is urban as of...
.
The xeric
Deserts and xeric shrublands
Deserts and xeric shrublands is a biome characterized by, relating to, or requiring only a small amount of moisture.-Definition and occurrence:...
Deccan thorn scrub forests
Deccan thorn scrub forests
The Deccan thorn scrub forests is a xeric shrubland ecoregion of India and northernmost Sri Lanka, a large area that was once forest and home to large numbers of elephants and tigers.-Location and description:...
lie to the west, south, and southeast, covering the drier portions of the plateau in the rain shadow of the Western Ghats
Western Ghats
The Western Ghats, Western Ghauts or the Sahyādri is a mountain range along the western side of India. It runs north to south along the western edge of the Deccan Plateau, and separates the plateau from a narrow coastal plain along the Arabian Sea. The Western Ghats block rainfall to the Deccan...
. The more humid Eastern highlands moist deciduous forests
Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests
The Eastern Highlands moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of east-central India. The ecoregion covers an area of , extending across portions of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Orissa states.-Setting:The Eastern Highlands...
lie to the northeast and east, while the Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests
Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests
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, and Uttar Pradesh states.-Setting:...
lie across the Satpuras to the northwest.
The Godavari River
Godavari River
The Godavari is a river that runs from western to southern India and is considered to be one of the big river basins in India. With a length of 1465 km, it is the second longest river in India , that runs within the country and also the longest river in South India...
crosses the ecoregion from its source in the Western Ghats and indeed most of the rivers on the plateau drain east towards the Bay of Bengal
Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal , the largest bay in the world, forms the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean. It resembles a triangle in shape, and is bordered mostly by the Eastern Coast of India, southern coast of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka to the west and Burma and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the...
, with the exception of the Tapti River
Tapti River
The Tapi River ancient original name Tapi River , is a river in central India. It is one of the major rivers of peninsular India with a length of around 724 km...
in the northwestern corner of the plateau, which drains westward into the Arabian Sea
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a region of the Indian Ocean bounded on the east by India, on the north by Pakistan and Iran, on the west by the Arabian Peninsula, on the south, approximately, by a line between Cape Guardafui in northeastern Somalia and Kanyakumari in India...
.
This is a highly populated area and most of the natural forest in the ecoregion has been cleared for firewood or grazing land or as a result of river damming, all of whicg are ongoing. However large blocks of original habitat such as the Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserves
Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserves
Nagarjunsagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve is the only Tiger Reserve area in Andhra Pradesh.The total area of the tiger reserve is 3568 km2.This tiger reserve spreads over 3,568 sq.km and it came under the umbrella of Project Tiger in 1983. The forests are mainly southern tropical dry mixed deciduous...
in Andhra Pradesh do remain.
Flora
Much of the Deccan plateau was dominated by teak (Tectona grandis) or sal (Shorea robusta) woodland but the defining species of this ecoregion is or was the 15m-25m tall Hardwickia with little undergrowth.Fauna
The large areas of remaining forest on the plateau are still home to a variety of grazing animals from the Four-horned AntelopeFour-horned Antelope
The Four-horned Antelope , or Chousingha, is a small antelope found in open forest in India and Nepal. It is the only species currently classified in the genus Tetracerus.-Description:...
(Tetracerus quadricornis, chinkara
Chinkara
The Chinkara is a species of gazelle found in south Asia.-Habitat and Distribution:It lives in grasslands and desert areas in India, Bangladesh and parts of Iran and Pakistan...
(Gazella bennettii) and blackbuck
Blackbuck
Blackbuck is a species of antelope native to the Indian subcontinent. Their range decreased sharply during the 20th century. Since 2003, the IUCN lists the species as near threatened....
(Antilope cervicapra) to the large Gaur
Gaur
The gaur , also called Indian bison, is a large bovine native to South Asia and Southeast Asia. The species is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List since 1986 as the population decline in parts of the species' range is likely to be well over 70% over the last three generations...
and Wild water buffalo (Bubalus arnee), and most importantly the tigers (Panthera tigris) that prey on them as well as the Dhole
Dhole
The dhole is a species of canid native to South and Southeast Asia. It is the only extant member of the genus Cuon, which differs from Canis by the reduced number of molars and greater number of teats...
(wild dog) (Cuon alpinus), Sloth Bear
Sloth Bear
The sloth bear , also known as the labiated bear, is a nocturnal insectivorous species of bear found wild within the Indian subcontinent. The sloth bear evolved from ancestral brown bears during the Pleistocene and shares features found in insect-eating mammals through convergent evolution...
(Melursus ursinus) and other carnivores. In total the area is home to nearly ninety mammal species. Some of the larger species mentioned here are rare as is the threatened Indian giant squirrel
Indian Giant Squirrel
The Indian giant squirrel, or Malabar giant squirrel, is a large tree squirrel species genus Ratufa native to India. It is a large-bodied diurnal, arboreal, and herbivorous squirrel found in South Asia.-Description:...
(Ratufa indica). The 300 species of birds include the globally threatened Jerdon's Courser
Jerdon's Courser
The Jerdon's Courser is a nocturnal bird belonging to the pratincole and courser family Glareolidae endemic to India. The bird was discovered by the surgeon-naturalist Thomas C. Jerdon in 1848 but not seen again until its rediscovery in 1986. This courser is a restricted-range endemic found...
, which was rediscovered in 1986 having been thought extinct for nearly a hundred years.