Jump to content

Khathiar–Gir dry deciduous forests

Coordinates: 24°48′N 75°48′E / 24.8°N 75.8°E / 24.8; 75.8[1]
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Khathiar–Gir dry deciduous forests
arid landscape in Gir Forest
Ecoregion territory (in purple)
Ecology
RealmIndomalayan
Biometropical and subtropical dry broadleaf forests
Borders
Geography
Area265,995 km2 (102,701 sq mi)
CountryIndia
states
Coordinates24°48′N 75°48′E / 24.8°N 75.8°E / 24.8; 75.8[1]
Conservation
Conservation statuscritical/endangered
Protected11,335 km² (4%)[2]

The Khathiar–Gir dry deciduous forests (also Kathiarbar-Gir or Kathiawar-Gir) is a mostly arid ecoregion in northwestern India that stretches over 103,100 sq mi (267,000 km2) across Gujarat, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. The dry deciduous forests in the region are dominated by teak, and thorny trees and scrub in drier areas.[3]

Landscape

[edit]
The Aravalli Range is part of this ecoregion

The Khathiar–Gir dry deciduous forests include the Aravalli Range, the high point of which is Mount Abu with an elevation of 1,721 m (5,646 feet), and a small part of the Northwestern thorn scrub forests in the west. In the west is the Kathiawar Peninsula and the strip of western Rajasthan between the Aravalli Range and Thar Desert. To the northwest, the Kathiawar-Gir dry deciduous forests transit to the Upper Gangetic Plains moist deciduous forests. To the southeast lies the Narmada Valley dry deciduous forests, of the Vindhya Range, and the Narmada River Valley. The ecoregion also borders the North Western Ghats moist deciduous forests in southeastern Gujarat.[citation needed]

The ecoregion has a tropical monsoon climate, with most of its 550 to 700 mm average annual rainfall during the June–September southwest monsoon and little for the remaining months of the year, while temperatures often exceed 40 °C. Higher elevations of the Aravallis stay cooler, and the windward slopes (generally southeast-facing) receive higher rainfall. This results in a dry landscape of thorny scrub, bare trees and rocks.[3]

Flora

[edit]
A silk-cotton tree in full bloom

The composition of the ecoregion's forests varies with moisture and soil. They have a three-storied structure, with the top story reaching 15 to 25 m (49 to 82 ft). Arid areas are dominated by Anogeissus pendula growing in association with khair, especially on the quartzite ridges and gneiss hillocks of the Aravalli Range. Less arid areas are dominated by teak (Tectona grandis), bael (Aegle marmelos), Boswellia serrata, Desmodium oojeinense, Diospyros species, silk-cotton tree, Sterculia urens, Phyllanthus emblica, Dalbergia lanceolaria subsp. paniculata, and Terminalia elliptica. Thorn scrub forests, characterized by Euphorbia caducifolia, Gymnosporia emarginata, Senegalia senegal, Commiphora mukul, Wrightia tinctoria, Flueggea leucopyrus, Grewia species, occur on rocky Aravalli hillsides and in degraded areas. Date palms (Phoenix sylvestris) and fig trees (Ficus racemosa) grow near rivers and streams of the hills. Strobilanthes halbergii is endemic to the ecoregion.[3]

Mount Abu is covered in dry deciduous thorn forest at lower elevations, with semi-evergreen forest along watercourses and in higher-elevation valleys. Common trees include Terminalia coronata var. parvifolia, Boswellia serrata, Mangifera indica, Phoenix sylvestris, Ficus bengalensis, other Ficus spp. Carissa spinarum, Caesalpinia spp., and Zizyphus spp. 830 plant species from 112 families are native to Mount Abu, including the endemic species Dicliptera abuensis and 328 species of medicinal value.[4]

Fauna

[edit]

Bird species include the:[3]

Mount Abu's range of habitats, including dry thorn forests and its relict semi-evergreen forests, make it an important area for birds. The mountain is home to two Critically Endangered species, the white-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis) and long-billed vulture (Gyps indicus), and two Vulnerable species, the green munia (Amandava formosa) and white-naped tit (Machlolophus nuchalis). Mount Aravalli is home to the northernmost population of grey junglefowl (Gallus sonneratii), a mostly southern Indian species. The Aravalli red spurfowl (Galloperdix spadicea caurina) is an subspecies of red spurfowl endemic to the Aravalli Range, with its largest population on and around Mount Abu.[4]

The protected areas of this region are also home to 80 mammal species including[3]

Other native mammals include the northern plains gray langur (Semnopithecus entellus), small Indian civet (Viverricula indica), Indian crested porcupine (Hystrix indica), honey badger or ratel (Mellivora capensis), Indian pangolin (Manis crassicaudata), and Indian fox (Vulpes bengalensis).

  • Bengal tiger in Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
    Bengal tiger in Ranthambore National Park, Rajasthan
  • Male Asiatic lion in Gir Forest National Park, Gujarat
    Male Asiatic lion in Gir Forest National Park, Gujarat
  • Indian leopard at Gir
    Indian leopard at Gir
  • Striped hyena
    Striped hyena
  • Golden jackal in the area of Rajkot
    Golden jackal in the area of Rajkot
  • An Indian sloth bear walking on the road in Ratan Mahal Sloth Bear Sanctuary
    An Indian sloth bear walking on the road in Ratan Mahal Sloth Bear Sanctuary
  • Mugger crocodile at Gir
    Mugger crocodile at Gir
  • Great Indian bustard at the Naliya grasslands, Kutch
    Great Indian bustard at the Naliya grasslands, Kutch
  • White-naped tit foraging on Prosopis juliflora at Kutch
    White-naped tit foraging on Prosopis juliflora at Kutch
  • A female lesser florican in flight from Rajasthan
    A female lesser florican in flight from Rajasthan

Threats to biodiversity

[edit]

The human population in the region is growing, and wildlife habitats have mostly been removed or degraded due to collection of firewood and timber, and use as grazing land for livestock.[citation needed]

Protected areas

[edit]

Protected areas cover 8,980 km2 (3,470 sq mi) in this ecoregion, and include:[3]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ World Database on Protected Areas (2019). "Darrah in India". Protected Planet United Nations Environment World Conservation Monitoring Centre.[permanent dead link‍]
  2. ^ Eric Dinerstein, David Olson, et al. (2017). An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm, BioScience, Volume 67, Issue 6, June 2017, Pages 534–545; Supplemental material 2 table S1b. [1]
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Khathiar-Gir Dry Deciduous Forests". Terrestrial Ecoregions. World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
  4. ^ a b "Site factsheet: Mount Abu Wildlife Sanctuary". DataZone by Birdlife. Birdlife International. Retrieved 14 February 2025.
  5. ^ Pathak, B. J. (1990). "Rusty-spotted Cat Felis rubiginosa Geoffroy: a new record for Gir Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park". Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society (87): 8.
  6. ^ Alam, M. S.; Khan, J. A.; Njoroge, C. H.; Kumar, S.; Meena, R. L. (2015). "Food preferences of the Golden Jackal Canis aureus in the Gir National Park and Sanctuary, Gujarat, India". Journal of Threatened Taxa. 7 (2): 6927–6933. doi:10.11609/jott.o3954.6927-33.
  7. ^ Jhala, Y. V.; Qureshi, Q.; Sinha, P. R., eds. (2011). Status of tigers, co-predators and prey in India, 2010. TR 2011/003 pp-302 (PDF). New Delhi, Dehradun: National Tiger Conservation Authority, Govt. of India, and Wildlife Institute of India. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 January 2012.
  8. ^ Singh, H. S.; Gibson, L. (2011). "A conservation success story in the otherwise dire megafauna extinction crisis: The Asiatic lion (Panthera leo persica) of Gir forest" (PDF). Biological Conservation. 144 (5): 1753–1757. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2011.02.009.
  9. ^ Garshelis, D. L.; Joshi, A. R.; Smith, J. L. D. & Rice, C. G. "Sloth Bear Conservation Action Plan". Bears: status survey and conservation action plan (PDF). Gland: IUCN. pp. 225–240. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 18 April 2011.
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Khathiar-Gir dry deciduous forests.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Khathiar–Gir_dry_deciduous_forests&oldid=1275954312"