South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests
Encyclopedia
The South Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest
ecoregion
of southern India
. It covers the southern portion of the Western Ghats
range and the Nilgiri Hills between 250 and 1000 meters elevation in Kerala
, Karnataka
and Tamil Nadu
states.
. The forests of Wayanad in northern Kerala
mark the transition to the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests
to the north. To the west, the Malabar Coast moist forests
ecoregion lies in the coastal strip between the 250 meter contour and the Malabar Coast
. To the east, the ecoregion transitions to the South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests
ecoregion in the drier rain shadow
of the Western Ghats. It surrounds the South Western Ghats montane rain forests
ecoregion, which lies above 1000 meters elevation.
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests
Tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests , also known as tropical moist forests, are a tropical and subtropical forest biome....
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...
. It covers the southern portion 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...
range and the Nilgiri Hills between 250 and 1000 meters elevation in Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
, Karnataka
Karnataka
Karnataka , the land of the Kannadigas, is a state in South West India. It was created on 1 November 1956, with the passing of the States Reorganisation Act and this day is annually celebrated as Karnataka Rajyotsava...
and Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu is one of the 28 states of India. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu lies in the southernmost part of the Indian Peninsula and is bordered by the union territory of Pondicherry, and the states of Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh...
states.
Setting
The ecoregion has an area of 23800 square kilometres (9,189.2 sq mi). It includes the southern ranges of the Western Ghats, including the Agastyamalai and Anamalai, and the eastward spurs of the Nilgiri Hills and Palni HillsPalni Hills
The Palni Hills are a mountain range in Tamil Nadu state of South India. The Palni Hills are an eastward extension of the Western Ghats ranges, which run parallel to the west coast of India. The Palni Hills adjoin the high Anamalai range on the west, and extend east into the plains of Tamil Nadu,...
. The forests of Wayanad in northern Kerala
Kerala
or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....
mark the transition to the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests
North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests
The North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India. It lies between 250 and 1000 meters elevation in the northern portion of the Western Ghats range, from their northern end in Maharashtra state, through Karnataka to the transitional...
to the north. To the west, the Malabar Coast moist forests
Malabar Coast moist forests
The Malabar Coast moist forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India. It lies along India's Konkan and Malabar coasts, in a narrow strip between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats range, which runs parallel to the coast...
ecoregion lies in the coastal strip between the 250 meter contour and the Malabar Coast
Malabar Coast
The Malabar Coast is a long and narrow coastline on the south-western shore line of the mainland Indian subcontinent. Geographically, it comprises the wettest regions of southern India, as the Western Ghats intercept the moisture-laden monsoon rains, especially on their westward-facing mountain...
. To the east, the ecoregion transitions to the South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests
South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests
The South Deccan Plateau dry deciduous forests is a dry broadleaf forest ecoregion of southern India. The ecoregion lies in the southern Deccan Plateau, within the Western Ghats' rain shadow. It receives of rain annually, much less than the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests and South...
ecoregion in the drier rain shadow
Rain shadow
A rain shadow is a dry area on the lee side of a mountainous area. The mountains block the passage of rain-producing weather systems, casting a "shadow" of dryness behind them. As shown by the diagram to the right, the warm moist air is "pulled" by the prevailing winds over a mountain...
of the Western Ghats. It surrounds the South Western Ghats montane rain forests
South Western Ghats montane rain forests
The South Western Ghats montane rain forests are an ecoregion of southern India, covering the southern portion of the Western Ghats range in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, at elevations over 1000 meters...
ecoregion, which lies above 1000 meters elevation.
See also
- List of ecoregions in India
- MalanadMalanadMalanad is the hilly regions of Kerala, India, especially the Malabar region and high ranges of Kerala. It includes small hilly regions also. Kerala is divided into coastal areas Theera Desam, midlands Idanad, and high ranges or Malanad. In Kerala approximately 15 km eastwards from coastal...
- MalnadMalnadMalenadu is a region of Karnataka state in South India. Malenadu covers the western and eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, roughly 100 kilometers in width. Malenadu covers portions of the Shimoga, Chikmagalur, Uttara Kannada, Kodagu and Hassan districts....
- Malabar Coast moist forestsMalabar Coast moist forestsThe Malabar Coast moist forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of southwestern India. It lies along India's Konkan and Malabar coasts, in a narrow strip between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats range, which runs parallel to the coast...
- South Western Ghats montane rain forestsSouth Western Ghats montane rain forestsThe South Western Ghats montane rain forests are an ecoregion of southern India, covering the southern portion of the Western Ghats range in Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, at elevations over 1000 meters...