Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests
Encyclopedia
The Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest
ecoregion
of northern India
. It lies on the alluvial plain
of the Ganges
and Yamuna rivers, with an area of 263100 square kilometres (101,583.5 sq mi), covering most of the state of Uttar Pradesh
and adjacent portions of Uttarakhand
, Haryana
, Madhya Pradesh
and Bihar
. The ecoregion is bounded on the north by the Himalayan subtropical pine forests
, Terai-Duar savannas and grasslands and Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests
of the Himalaya foothills, to the west by the drier Northwestern thorn scrub forests
and Kathiarbar-Gir dry deciduous forests
, on the south by the Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests
of the Malwa and Bundelkhand
uplands, and on the east by the more humid Lower Gangetic plains moist deciduous forests
.
The ecoregion has a tropical climate
. Rainfall is highly seasonal, falling mainly during the June-to-September southwest monsoon.
In ancient times the region was mostly forested, with sal (Shorea robusta) the predominant tree
. Many trees lose their leaves during the winter dry season. The ecoregion is currently densely populated, and the fertile plains have largely been converted to intensive agriculture, with only a few enclaves of forest remaining.
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 northern 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 lies on the alluvial plain
Alluvial plain
An alluvial plain is a relatively flat landform created by the deposition of sediment over a long period of time by one or more rivers coming from highland regions, from which alluvial soil forms...
of the Ganges
Ganges River
The Ganges or Ganga, , is a trans-boundary river of India and Bangladesh. The river rises in the western Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand, and flows south and east through the Gangetic Plain of North India into Bangladesh, where it empties into the Bay of Bengal. By discharge it...
and Yamuna rivers, with an area of 263100 square kilometres (101,583.5 sq mi), covering most of the state of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
and adjacent portions of Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand
Uttarakhand , formerly Uttaranchal, is a state in the northern part of India. It is often referred to as the Land of Gods due to the many holy Hindu temples and cities found throughout the state, some of which are among Hinduism's most spiritual and auspicious places of pilgrimage and worship...
, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
, 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 Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
. The ecoregion is bounded on the north by the Himalayan subtropical pine forests
Himalayan subtropical pine forests
The Himalayan subtropical pine forests are a large subtropical coniferous forest ecoregion covering portions of Bhutan, India, Nepal, and Pakistan....
, Terai-Duar savannas and grasslands and Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests
Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests
The Himalayan subtropical broadleaf forests is an ecoregion that extends from the middle hills of central Nepal through Darjeeling into Bhutan and also into the Indian State of Uttar Pradesh...
of the Himalaya foothills, to the west by the drier Northwestern thorn scrub forests
Northwestern thorn scrub forests
The Northwestern thorn scrub forests are a xeric shrubland ecoregion of Pakistan and northwestern India, a region of extreme temperatures and a very climate that was once covered in deciduous forest.-Location and description:...
and Kathiarbar-Gir dry deciduous forests
Kathiarbar-Gir dry deciduous forests
The Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests are a tropical dry broadleaf forest ecoregion of western India which is home to the last remaining populations of the Asiatic Lion in Gir Forest National Park in Gujarat.-Setting:...
, on the south by 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:...
of the Malwa and Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand
Bundelkhand anciently known as Chedi Kingdom is a geographic region of central India...
uplands, and on the east by the more humid Lower Gangetic plains moist deciduous forests
Lower Gangetic plains moist deciduous forests
The Lower Gangetic plains moist deciduous forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion of Bangladesh and eastern India. The ecoregion covers an area of , covering most of Bangladesh and the Indian states of West Bengal, Bihar, and Tripura, and extending into adjacent portions of Assam,...
.
The ecoregion has a tropical climate
Tropical climate
A tropical climate is a climate of the tropics. In the Köppen climate classification it is a non-arid climate in which all twelve months have mean temperatures above...
. Rainfall is highly seasonal, falling mainly during the June-to-September southwest monsoon.
In ancient times the region was mostly forested, with sal (Shorea robusta) the predominant tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
. Many trees lose their leaves during the winter dry season. The ecoregion is currently densely populated, and the fertile plains have largely been converted to intensive agriculture, with only a few enclaves of forest remaining.
Conservation
Protected areas in this ecoregion include:- Jim Corbett National ParkJim Corbett National ParkJim Corbett National Park—named for the hunter and conservationist Jim Corbett who played a key role in its establishment—is the oldest national park in India. The park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park...
- Rajaji National ParkRajaji National ParkRajaji National Park is an Indian national park that encompasses the Shivaliks, near the foothills of the Himalayas. It is spread over 820 km²., and three districts of Uttarakhand: Haridwar, Dehradun and Pauri Garhwal. In 1983, three wildlife sanctuaries in the area namely, Chilla, Motichur...