Northeast India-Myanmar pine forests
Encyclopedia
The Northeast India-Myanmar pine forests is a subtropical coniferous forest
ecoregion
in the mountains of northeastern India
and adjacent portions of Myanmar
(also known as Burma).
that with the Patkai
(including the Lushai Hills
) and the Manipur
Hills form part of the Burmese-Java arc of folded mountains that run south-east of the Himalayas
and make up the India-Myanmar border region. The pine forests are found between 1500 and 2500 meters elevation, and occur in three enclaves; the largest straddles the boundary between India's Nagaland
state and Myanmar, with two smaller enclaves in the southern portion of India's Mizoram
state, near the Burmese border. The pine forests are surrounded at lower elevations by the predominantly broadleaf Mizoram-Manipur-Kachin rain forests
and are part of the Burma Monsoon Forest transition zone between the South Asia
and Indochina
ecozone
s.
forest, that is rare in the Indomalaya ecozone. Tenasserim Pine
(Pinus latteri) is the dominant species
at lower elevations, sometimes associated with dipterocarps. At higher elevations, Khasi Pine
(P. kesiya) and Blue Pine
(P. wallichiana) are the predominant species, associated with other evergreens including hemlocks
(Tsuga) and fir
s (Abies), and broadleaf trees, including oak
s (Quercus) and maple
s (Acer), while Rhododendron
, Ilex, Prunus
, and bamboo
(Arundinaria
) are common understory
shrub
s.
these pine forests are relatively unspoilt and therefore still important habitat for a number of species adapted to the rocky heights. When the area was surveyed by the Wildlife Conservation Society
in the 1950s mammals of the pine forest included Sumatran Serow
(Capricornis sumatrensis), sambar (rusa unicolor), Indian Muntjac
(Muntiacus muntjac), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and Asian Black Bear (ursus thibetanus) while smaller mammals include Oriental giant squirrel
s, Indian Giant Flying Squirrel
and civet
s. None of these mammals are endemic to this ecoregion.
Birds reported in the survey include the Silver-breasted Broadbill
(Serilophus lunatus), White-naped Yuhina
(Yuhina bakeri), Rufous-vented Tit
(Periparus rubidiventris), Stripe-throated Yuhina
(Yuhina gularis), a number of Old World babbler
s, Grey-sided Laughingthrush
(Garrulax caerulatus), Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush
(Garrulax rufogularis), Striated Laughingthrush
(Garrulax striatus), Purple and Green Cochoa
s, Beautiful Nuthatch
(Sitta formosa), Sultan Tit
(Melanochlora sultana), some Leafbird
s and White-browed Fulvetta
(fulvetta vinipectus) while large numbers of Shelduck
and Bar-headed Goose
were seen on the Chindwin River
. Two more species of laughingthrush are thought to be endemic to these mountains: Brown-capped Laughingthrush
(Garrulax austeni) and Striped laughingthrush
(Garrulax virgatus).
continues today resulting in soil erosion and loss of habitat for wildlife. However as there has been no commercial logging it appears that the pine forests remain fairly intact even today.
Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests
Tropical and subtropical coniferous forests are a forest biome. They are located in regions of semi-humid climate at tropical and subtropical latitudes. Most tropical and subtropical coniferous forest ecoregions are found in the Nearctic and Neotropic ecozones, from Mexico to Nicaragua and on the...
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...
in the mountains of northeastern 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...
and adjacent portions of Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
(also known as Burma).
Setting
The ecoregion covers an area of 9700 km² of the Naga HillsNaga hills
Naga hills, reaching a height of around 3825 metres, lie on the border of India and Burma . These hills are part of a complex mountain system, and the parts of the mountain ranges inside the Indian state of Nagaland and the Burmese region of Sagaing are called the Naga Hills.In British India, the...
that with the Patkai
Patkai
The Pat-kai meaning to Cut Chicken in Tai Ahom language are the hills on India's North Eastern border with Burma. They were created by the same tectonic processes that resulted in the formation of the Himalayain the Mesozoic . They are not as rugged as the Himalayas and its peaks are much lower...
(including the Lushai Hills
Lushai hills
The Lushai Hills are part of the Patkai range in Mizoram and partially in Tripura, India.-Flora & Fauna:The hills are for the most part covered with dense bamboo jungle and rank undergrowth; but in the eastern portion, owing probably to a smaller rainfall, open grass-covered slopes are found, with...
) and the Manipur
Manipur
Manipur is a state in northeastern India, with the city of Imphal as its capital. Manipur is bounded by the Indian states of Nagaland to the north, Mizoram to the south and Assam to the west; it also borders Burma to the east. It covers an area of...
Hills form part of the Burmese-Java arc of folded mountains that run south-east of the Himalayas
Himalayas
The Himalaya Range or Himalaya Mountains Sanskrit: Devanagari: हिमालय, literally "abode of snow"), usually called the Himalayas or Himalaya for short, is a mountain range in Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau...
and make up the India-Myanmar border region. The pine forests are found between 1500 and 2500 meters elevation, and occur in three enclaves; the largest straddles the boundary between India's Nagaland
Nagaland
Nagaland is a state in the far north-eastern part of India. It borders the state of Assam to the west, Arunachal Pradesh and part of Assam to the north, Burma to the east and Manipur to the south. The state capital is Kohima, and the largest city is Dimapur...
state and Myanmar, with two smaller enclaves in the southern portion of India's Mizoram
Mizoram
Mizoram is one of the Seven Sister States in North Eastern India, sharing borders with the states of Tripura, Assam, Manipur and with the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh and Burma. Mizoram became the 23rd state of India on 20 February 1987. Its capital is Aizawl. Mizoram is located in the...
state, near the Burmese border. The pine forests are surrounded at lower elevations by the predominantly broadleaf Mizoram-Manipur-Kachin rain forests
Mizoram-Manipur-Kachin rain forests
The Mizoram-Manipur-Kachin rain forests is a subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion which occupies the lower hillsides of the mountainous border region joining India, Bangladesh, and Burma . The ecoregion covers an area of...
and are part of the Burma Monsoon Forest transition zone between the South Asia
South Asia
South Asia, also known as Southern Asia, is the southern region of the Asian continent, which comprises the sub-Himalayan countries and, for some authorities , also includes the adjoining countries to the west and the east...
and Indochina
Indochina
The Indochinese peninsula, is a region in Southeast Asia. It lies roughly southwest of China, and east of India. The name has its origins in the French, Indochine, as a combination of the names of "China" and "India", and was adopted when French colonizers in Vietnam began expanding their territory...
ecozone
Ecozone
An ecozone is the broadest biogeographic division of the Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms.Ecozones delineate large areas of the Earth's surface within which organisms have been evolving in relative isolation over long periods of time, separated from...
s.
Flora
These pine forests of Northeast India and Myanmar are examples of a habitat, pinePine
Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ,in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.-Etymology:...
forest, that is rare in the Indomalaya ecozone. Tenasserim Pine
Tenasserim Pine
The Tenasserim Pine, Pinus latteri, is a pine native to southeast Asia, in the mountains of southeastern Burma, northern Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, and on the Chinese island of Hainan....
(Pinus latteri) is the dominant species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
at lower elevations, sometimes associated with dipterocarps. At higher elevations, Khasi Pine
Khasi Pine
The Khasi Pine, Pinus kesiya, is one of the most distributed pines in Asia. Its range extends south and east from the Khasi hills in the northeast Indian state of Meghalaya from where it got its name to northern Thailand, Burma, Laos, southernmost China, Vietnam and the Philippines...
(P. kesiya) and Blue Pine
Blue Pine
Pinus wallichiana is a pine native to the Himalaya, Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountains, from eastern Afghanistan east across northern Pakistan and India to Yunnan in southwest China. It grows at high altitudes in mountain valleys at altitudes of 1800–4300 m , and is a tree from 30–50 m in height...
(P. wallichiana) are the predominant species, associated with other evergreens including hemlocks
Tsuga
Tsuga is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock....
(Tsuga) and fir
Fir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
s (Abies), and broadleaf trees, including oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
s (Quercus) and maple
Maple
Acer is a genus of trees or shrubs commonly known as maple.Maples are variously classified in a family of their own, the Aceraceae, or together with the Hippocastanaceae included in the family Sapindaceae. Modern classifications, including the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group system, favour inclusion in...
s (Acer), while Rhododendron
Rhododendron
Rhododendron is a genus of over 1 000 species of woody plants in the heath family, most with showy flowers...
, Ilex, Prunus
Prunus
Prunus is a genus of trees and shrubs, which includes the plums, cherries, peaches, apricots and almonds. There are around 430 species spread throughout the northern temperate regions of the globe. Many members of the genus are widely cultivated for fruit and ornament.-Botany:Members of the genus...
, and bamboo
Bamboo
Bamboo is a group of perennial evergreens in the true grass family Poaceae, subfamily Bambusoideae, tribe Bambuseae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family....
(Arundinaria
Arundinaria
Arundinaria, commonly known as the canes, is the sole genus of bamboo native to South Africa and eastern North America and the only temperate bamboo in North America. The genus is endemic to the eastern United States from New Jersey south to Florida and west to Ohio and Texas...
) are common understory
Understory
Understory is the term for the area of a forest which grows at the lowest height level below the forest canopy. Plants in the understory consist of a mixture of seedlings and saplings of canopy trees together with understory shrubs and herbs...
shrub
Shrub
A shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s.
Fauna
Although home to a smaller variety of wildlife than the surrounding rainforestRainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
these pine forests are relatively unspoilt and therefore still important habitat for a number of species adapted to the rocky heights. When the area was surveyed by the Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Conservation Society
The Wildlife Conservation Society based at the Bronx Zoo was founded in 1895 as the New York Zoological Society and currently manages some of wild places around the world, with over 500 field conservation projects in 60 countries, and 200 scientists on staff...
in the 1950s mammals of the pine forest included Sumatran Serow
Sumatran Serow
The Sumatran Serow , also known as the Southern Serow, is a species of goat-antelope native to mountain forests in the Thai-Malay Peninsula and on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. The former name of this species is "mainland serow", as all the mainland species of serow used to be considered...
(Capricornis sumatrensis), sambar (rusa unicolor), Indian Muntjac
Indian Muntjac
The Common Muntjac , also called the Red Muntjac, Indian Muntjac or Barking deer is the most numerous muntjac deer species. It has soft, short, brownish or greyish hair, sometimes with creamy markings. This species is omnivorous, feeding on fruits, shoots, seeds, birds' eggs as well as small...
(Muntiacus muntjac), wild boar (Sus scrofa), and Asian Black Bear (ursus thibetanus) while smaller mammals include Oriental giant squirrel
Oriental giant squirrel
Oriental giant squirrels are very large tree squirrels from the genus Ratufa in the subfamily Ratufinae. They are a distinctive element of the fauna of south and southeast Asia.There are four living species of oriental giant squirrels:...
s, Indian Giant Flying Squirrel
Indian Giant Flying Squirrel
The Indian Giant Flying Squirrel - alternatively referred to as Large Brown Flying Squirrel or the Common Giant Flying Squirrel - is a species of rodent in the Sciuridae family. It is found in China, India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand.-References:...
and civet
Civet
The family Viverridae is made up of around 30 species of medium-sized mammal, including all of the genets, the binturong, most of the civets, and the two African linsangs....
s. None of these mammals are endemic to this ecoregion.
Birds reported in the survey include the Silver-breasted Broadbill
Silver-breasted Broadbill
The Silver-breasted Broadbill is a species of bird in the broadbill family Eurylaimidae. It is monotypic within the genus Serilophus...
(Serilophus lunatus), White-naped Yuhina
White-naped Yuhina
The White-naped Yuhina is a bird species in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae. If the white-eyes are considered a distinct family , the genus Yuhina would need to be placed there....
(Yuhina bakeri), Rufous-vented Tit
Rufous-vented Tit
The Rufous-vented Tit is an Asian songbird species in the tit and chickadee family . Some of its subspecies were formerly assigned to its western relative the Rufous-naped Tit , or these two were considered entirely conspecific...
(Periparus rubidiventris), Stripe-throated Yuhina
Stripe-throated Yuhina
The Stripe-throated Yuhina is a bird species in the Old World babbler family Timaliidae. If the white-eyes are considered a distinct family , the genus Yuhina would need to be placed there....
(Yuhina gularis), a number of Old World babbler
Old World babbler
The Old World babblers or timaliids are a large family of mostly Old World passerine birds. They are rather diverse in size and coloration, but are characterised by soft fluffy plumage. These are birds of tropical areas, with the greatest variety in Southeast Asia and the Indian Subcontinent...
s, Grey-sided Laughingthrush
Grey-sided Laughingthrush
The Grey-sided Laughingthrush is a bird species in the Old World babbler family . In the proposed rearrangement of the laughingthrushes, it is placed in the genus Dryonastes....
(Garrulax caerulatus), Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush
Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush
The Rufous-chinned Laughingthrush is a bird species in the Old World babbler family . In the proposed rearrangement of the laughingthrushes, it is placed in the genus Ianthocincla, as I. ocellata....
(Garrulax rufogularis), Striated Laughingthrush
Striated Laughingthrush
The Striated Laughingthrush is a bird species in the Old World babbler family . In the proposed rearrangement of the laughingthrushes, it is placed in the monotypic genus Grammatoptila, as G. striata....
(Garrulax striatus), Purple and Green Cochoa
Cochoa
The cochoas are medium-sized frugivorous, insectivorous and molluscivorous birds in the genus Cochoa...
s, Beautiful Nuthatch
Beautiful Nuthatch
The Beautiful Nuthatch is one of the rarest nuthatches on Earth. It occurs in north east India and neighbouring regions, with odd records across to Thailand, where it may be a winter visitor or resident....
(Sitta formosa), Sultan Tit
Sultan Tit
The Sultan Tit is a large songbird with a yellow crest, dark bill, black upperparts plumage and yellow underparts. The sexes are similar. The female has greenish black upperparts and yellowish throat...
(Melanochlora sultana), some Leafbird
Leafbird
The leafbirds are a family of small passerine bird species found in India, Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia. They are one of only three bird families that are entirely endemic to the Indomalayan ecozone. They were formerly grouped with the ioras and fairy-bluebirds in the family Irenidae...
s and White-browed Fulvetta
White-browed Fulvetta
The White-browed Fulvetta is a bird species in the family Sylviidae. Like the other typical fulvettas, it was long included in the Timaliidae genus Alcippe....
(fulvetta vinipectus) while large numbers of Shelduck
Shelduck
The shelducks, genus Tadorna, are a group of large birds in the Tadorninae subfamily of the Anatidae, the biological family that includes the ducks and most duck-like waterfowl such as the geese and swans....
and Bar-headed Goose
Bar-headed Goose
The Bar-headed Goose is a goose which breeds in Central Asia in colonies of thousands near mountain lakes and winters in South Asia, as far south as peninsular India. It lays three to eight eggs at a time in a ground nest....
were seen on the Chindwin River
Chindwin River
The Chindwin River is a river in Burma , and the largest tributary of the country's chief river the Ayeyarwady . It flows entirely within Burma and is known as Ning-thi to the Manipuris.-Source:...
. Two more species of laughingthrush are thought to be endemic to these mountains: Brown-capped Laughingthrush
Brown-capped Laughingthrush
The Brown-capped Laughingthrush is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family.It is found in India and Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:...
(Garrulax austeni) and Striped laughingthrush
Striped Laughingthrush
The Striped Laughingthrush is a species of bird in the Timaliidae family.It is found in India and Myanmar. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist montane forests.-References:...
(Garrulax virgatus).
Threats and preservation
These mountains have been poorly researched since the 1950s, when it was noted that patches were being systematically cleared for farming and this shifting cultivationShifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation is an agricultural system in which plots of land are cultivated temporarily, then abandoned. This system often involves clearing of a piece of land followed by several years of wood harvesting or farming, until the soil loses fertility...
continues today resulting in soil erosion and loss of habitat for wildlife. However as there has been no commercial logging it appears that the pine forests remain fairly intact even today.